MANILA, Philippines — Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. has allowed the importation of 25,000 metric tons (MT) of frozen fish and aquatic products, saying it is necessary to curb inflation.

In Memorandum Order 51, Tiu Laurel said 24,000 MT of the total would be allocated to import salmon, squid, tuna, black-cod, gindara, halibut sardines and red snapper. The remaining 1,000 MT would be for small pelagic fishes to be sold under the Kadiwa ng Pangulo (KNP) program.

“In order to ensure the steady supply of affordable fish and fishery/aquatic products for a food-secure country, taking into consideration public welfare and to support the implementation of KNP, a total volume of 1,000 MT shall be allocated for distribution to the Kadiwa Centers,” Tiu Laurel said.

He noted that the Fisheries and Aquaculture Board of the Philippines presented during the third quarter meeting of the National Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management Council (NFARMC) on Sept. 2 a request for the issuance of a Certificate of Necessity to Import (CNI) to certain fish and aquatic products to curb inflation, ensure food security and diversify food choices.

“The NFARMC issued Resolution 35 approving and recommending the issuance of a special CNI 25,000 MT of salmon (whole), species of squid that will not compete with local production, tuna (by-products only), black-cod (whole), gindara (whole), and halibut (whole) for the months of September to December 2024,” Tiu Laurel said.

Individuals, corporations, partnerships, registered fisheries associations or cooperatives, with active accreditation as importers of food fish under Fisheries Administrative Order 195 or registered under FAO 259, are qualified to import.

Tiu Laurel said each qualified importer can import an initial volume of 28 MT.

“The remaining volume shall be allocated to the qualified importers on a first come, first serve basis,” he added.

Meanwhile, former agriculture secretary Leonardo Montemayor on Sunday said farmers’ groups should be consulted on the Department of Agriculture (DA)’s plan to import vegetables and fish.

Montemayor, chairman of the Federation of Free Farmers (FFF), said in a radio interview that the DA should prioritize ways to help peasants recover amid the impacts of successive typhoons on the local agriculture sector.

“The DA should focus on the assistance to farmers for them to recover. At the same time, if they think there is a need to import, what is important is to consult with the farmers, through their associations,” Montemayor said.

Montemayor added that the DA always resorts to importation instead of getting feedback from farmers.

“Whenever there is calamity, what we always hear is importation. The government should instead ensure intervention so that our farmers can recover if there is a temporary shortage in the supply, and importation can be considered after assisting the farmers,” he noted.

Montemayor said that at least one million metric tons in rice production was lost amid the impacts of successive typhoons, El Niño and other weather disturbances this year.

“The shortage can be supplied through importation (of rice) as traders are free to import rice from other countries,” he said.

According to Montemayor, the DA should consider alternative sources of vegetables before resorting to imports.

“We have alternative sources (of vegetables) in Visayas, like Negros Oriental and Cebu, which are vegetable bowls. The government should address the issue of logistics to ensure the delivery of vegetables and fish in Luzon. It is better to improve the system in the delivery of vegetables and fish to address the shortage here in Luzon, especially Metro Manila,” Montemayor said.

P11 billion for farmers, fishers

At least P11.47 billion was allocated for credit assistance to 10,000 small farmers, fishers and agrarian reform beneficiaries.

The government-run Landbank, DA and Department of Agrarian Reform launched the Agrisenso Plus Lending Program to provide more accessible and inclusive financing, complemented by other support interventions, for farmers and fishers.

“Agrisenso Plus reflects Landbank’s commitment to providing holistic and meaningful support to the entire agriculture sector. Through strategic collaborations with public and private partners, we are complementing accessible credit with insurance benefits, capacity-building and other interventions to boost productivity, enhance income, drive sustainable growth and contribute to national food security,” said Landbank president and chief executive officer (CEO) Lynette Ortiz.

Ortiz said funding for the Agrisenso Plus would be sourced from the P1.47-billion penalties due from banks under Republic Act 11901 or The Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural Development Financing Enhancement Act of 2022.

According to Ortiz, Landbank, as the biggest lender to the agriculture sector, has extended P731.76 billion in loans to agriculturejiliplus, fisheries and rural development as of September 2024.

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