These 8 farm products have been smuggled the most into the country — gov’t study

Carrots, yes; potatoes, no

MANILA – Rice tops the list of farm products smuggled into the Philippines, according to a state-backed study released today.

According to a report by Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), the amount of smuggled agriculture products hit $10 billion in the period 1986-2008.

Over that 22-year period, the amount of smuggled rice reached $1.96 billion.

Apart from rice, other farm products that were smuggled and the amounts involved are as follows:

Refined sugar, $448.2 million;
Beef, $428.8 million;
Onion, $259.55 million;
Pork, $117.45 million;
Chicken, $27.8 million;
Ginger, $7.8 million; and
Carrots and turnips, $6.5 million.
SEARCA said farm products smuggling in the mid-1980s was valued at $6 billion a year, increasing every year to reach at least $10 billion in 2008. The study looked at ports of entry in northeastern Luzon and in Mindanao.

“The more alarming consequence of smuggling is the threat to domestic industries in terms of risks of exposure to pests and diseases as well as endangering the safety of consumers,” the report said.

The authors of the report noted that antiquated policies have led to the spread of farm products smuggling.

The Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Agricultural Research (DA-BAR) funded the study, tapping experts from SEARCA and the University of the Philippines in Los Banos (UPLB).

Authors of the report include Dr. Prudenciano Gordoncillo, Dr. Cesar Quicoy, Prof. Julieta delos Reyes, and Dr. Arvin Vista.

Government agencies that took part in the research include the Bureaus of Plant Industry, of Agricultural Statistics, and of Customs, as well as the National Meat Inspection Services and the National Veterinary Quarantine Service.

“The issue of smuggling is a lot more complex than a simple trade problem because sometimes it is a combination of a lot of factors that determine the extent, flow, intensity, and nature of the illegal practice,” Agriculture Segfredo Serrano, who led the steering committee for the study, said.
Besides DA-BAS data on production and consumption, the research team also used key informant interviews and focus group discussions, said SEARCA director Gil C. Saguiguit Jr. –Orti Despuez, InterAksyon.com