Livestock industry proposes repeal of anti-GMO ordinance

BACOLOD CITY: The livestock industry in Negros Occidental called on members of the provincial council to base their decision on “facts and figures” and hasten the repeal of the controversial anti-genetically modified ordinance (GMO) that has hogged the local headlines here for months now. 

In a statement, the Negros Occidental Hog Raisers Association and the Alliance of Swine Producers in Negros Occidental said the continued ban on the entry of GMO products, particularly feeds for the livestock and poultry industry is “seriously threatening the livelihood of many Negrenses.” 

The seven-day marathon hearing of the anti-GMO ordinance has ended on Friday and members of the council have been divided on the issue with pressure mounting from both sides. 

Lim who is also the national president of hog raisers group in the country also said, based on the case presented by officials from national agencies who were invited to shed light on national policies regarding biotechnology, “Negros Occidental is retrogressing instead of moving forward.” 

“Do not kill the goose that lays the golden egg,” Lim said to the SP, adding that the livestock and poultry sector has become the second-biggest industry in the province, next to sugar, and “provides employment to many Negrenses as well as vital to our province’s food security program.” 

 “Do not be threatened by people who use invectives to malign others just to prove their point and who are not even from Negros Occidental,” Lim said, urging members of the provincial council to go beyond the confines of the SP hall and “see for yourselves the many constituents you have who are involved and will be affected by the possible collapse of our industry.” 

Rey de la Rama of the Alliance of Swine Producers in Negros Occidental, meanwhile, also said that B-MEG’s pronouncements of pulling out their contract growing business in the province if the ordinance stays is “very alarming.” 

“If it becomes difficult for them to bring in their feeds for their contract growers as well as to other contract growers, then we are really giving them reason to transfer their operations and that could spell a loss of millions for our province,” de la Rama said. 

B-MEG’s Regional Manager, Joey Avila, earlier said that they provide 30,000 sacks of feeds for contract growers under San Miguel Foods with an average sales of P50million to 70 million a month, not counting the 100,000 sacks of feeds for other contract growers in the province. 

Lim said B-MEG also had plans of expanding their operation and putting up a feed mill in the province but “this was shelved when the ordinance took effect,” adding that Bounty Agro also made a similar statement of transferring their operations elsewhere if the province will make it difficult for them to bring in their feeds for their poultry. –Ma. Ester L. Espina, Manila Times