LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – A
provincial board member urged stop to illegal importation of vegetables saying
this has drastically lessened income of vegetable farmers and traders, calling
for moves to unmask perpetrators behind the illegal scheme.
“Our agricultural sector is at war, let us defend it,” Robert M. Namoro, vice chairman of the committee on agriculture told the provincial board.
Namoro said illegal importation of agricultural products was on despite an ongoing Senate inquiry.
“This is really alarming, while a Senate Inquiry is ongoing, these illegal importers are still so brazen, it seems they don't fear the law,”Namoro said.
“Is there now truth to what our senators say an “inter agency conspiracy” which seems to be allowing the entry of illegal imported products into our ports to the detriment of our local agriculture sector?” Namoro asked.
Republic Act No. 10845 declaring large-scale smuggling of agricultural products as “economic sabotage,” a serious crime was signed into law in 2016.
Almost six years after, smuggled vegetables and other agricultural products reportedly continue to flood the market.
“With each box of illegal vegetable import, there is an equivalent number of local vegetables that will not be sold,” Namoro said.
“We are the losers here, where the government and farmers are deprived of legal income. Smuggling causes slowdown in farm production and increase in income inequality.”
Namoro added “our agriculture sector is key to our food security, let us protect it, from the ills now plaguing it. It is not the Benguet farmers alone that are being hit by illegal importation of agricultural products, aside from carrots and temperate vegetables, there is a marked illegal importation of rice, sugar, onions, pork and chicken meat among others.”
According to Namoro, he will be coordinating with the Provincial Board Members League regarding this matter. “This problem is not the problem of Benguet farmers alone, is now affecting the agriculture sector as a whole.”
“Our agricultural sector is at war, let us defend it,” Robert M. Namoro, vice chairman of the committee on agriculture told the provincial board.
Namoro said illegal importation of agricultural products was on despite an ongoing Senate inquiry.
“This is really alarming, while a Senate Inquiry is ongoing, these illegal importers are still so brazen, it seems they don't fear the law,”Namoro said.
“Is there now truth to what our senators say an “inter agency conspiracy” which seems to be allowing the entry of illegal imported products into our ports to the detriment of our local agriculture sector?” Namoro asked.
Republic Act No. 10845 declaring large-scale smuggling of agricultural products as “economic sabotage,” a serious crime was signed into law in 2016.
Almost six years after, smuggled vegetables and other agricultural products reportedly continue to flood the market.
“With each box of illegal vegetable import, there is an equivalent number of local vegetables that will not be sold,” Namoro said.
“We are the losers here, where the government and farmers are deprived of legal income. Smuggling causes slowdown in farm production and increase in income inequality.”
Namoro added “our agriculture sector is key to our food security, let us protect it, from the ills now plaguing it. It is not the Benguet farmers alone that are being hit by illegal importation of agricultural products, aside from carrots and temperate vegetables, there is a marked illegal importation of rice, sugar, onions, pork and chicken meat among others.”
According to Namoro, he will be coordinating with the Provincial Board Members League regarding this matter. “This problem is not the problem of Benguet farmers alone, is now affecting the agriculture sector as a whole.”
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