AN official of Pangasinan called for a stop to rampant smuggling of meat mostly coming from China in order to protect the local meat industry from foot and mouth disease (FMD) and other animal diseases in the country.
Provincial Board Member Danilo Uy, president of Region I Hog Raisers Association, said it is really difficult to stamp out FMD in the country if smuggling of pork and beef continues in some ports of the country.

He said smuggled meat comes in frozen form, without the usual mark. Locally produced meat carry marks of local companies, he added.

“This is dangerous because, there were reports that FMD is still raging in some farms of China, Uy said, adding that if the illegal activity will continue, there may be no chance anymore for some areas in the country to be FMD-free.

He said legally imported meat is better because at least they pass through strict quarantine regulations and their volume can easily be monitored.

The smuggled meat however does fnot pass through rigid regulations set by the Philippine government and that there is no way how much volume of meat are being smuggled here, Uy added.

Uy added that stamping out of meat smuggling would ease the sad plight of local hog raisers who cannot sell their products at higher prices because of such unfair competition.