Strip-search reefer vans to curb smuggling, BOC urged

MANILA, Philippines — Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap has asked the Bureau of Customs (BOC) to fully strip search all reefer vans and refrigerated containers passing through customs inspection to curb smuggling of vegetables and other farm products. Yap said the proposal will add teeth to the government’s campaign against smuggling that threatens the existence of the country’s vegetables. “Smuggling not only threatens the existence of local agricultural providers, but also translates into loss of much-needed revenues that could have been used to provide additional services on education, health, housing and other poverty alleviation programs of the government," Yap said. Vegetable farmers account for around a third of total farm output in this country. Last year alone, the production of 10 major vegetables — peanut, mongo, cassava, camote, tomato, garlic, onion, cabbage, eggplant and calamansi — went up by 27 %, to P33 billion at current prices, compared to the 2007 harvest. The DA’s Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) has teamed up with the BOC to carry out a three-point program that involves strictly implementing quarantine rules, including the conduct of pest risk analysis on new vegetable imports; conducting a thorough review of ship manifesto and import permits; and accrediting agriculture industry representatives in all ocular inspections of imported farm and fishery shipments. Yap said the DA-Customs team-up against smuggling in 2008, netted 96 40-foot containers of illegally imported crop commodities. Yap said one of the most recent results of the partnership was the apprehension by Plant Quarantine Staff of 4x40 container vans of onions without the required plant quarantine clearance at the Manila International Container Port in January this year." Yap said the DA will also tap non-government organizations such as the Agricultural Sector Alliance of the Philippines (Agap) and Alyansa Agrikultura to help the government accredit agriculture industry representatives from farmers and fisherfolk organizations in all ocular inspections of imported shipments of agriculture and fishery products to be conducted by the DA, whether in the port of destination or in cold storage facilities and warehouses. - D’Jay Lazaro, GMANews.TV