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Tuesday, October 05, 2004
Benguet dads move to halt RP-China trade pact
BAGUIO CITY -- Benguet local officials are asking the courts for an injunction on the implementation of a quarantine agreement between the Philippine government and China.
The case for injunction with a prayer for a temporary restraining order on the Philippine-China Bilateral Quarantine Agreement will be heard in the sala of Regional Trial Court Branch 63 Judge Benigno Galacgac.
The petition said the agreement "is an outrage to the ailing and endangered vegetable industry" in the country.
It added that the agreement's implementation would result in imported fresh carrots flooding the country and eventually killing the vegetable industry.
Benguet Gov. Borromeo Melchor, in behalf of Benguet Province, and La Trinidad Mayor Nestor Fongwan, representing the Benguet Mayors' League, filed the petition against the Philippine-China quarantine agreement.
The case for injunction was filed against Bureau of Plant Director Hernani Golez.
Benguet carrot producers and other farmers have suffered great losses due to the influx of smuggled fresh produce. Legalizing the importation through the agreement would result in the vegetable industry in the Philippines getting extinct, pointed out the petition.
Melchor and Fongwan stressed that studies made by the Department of Agriculture in the region showed that "importation of fresh carrots is unnecessary" since Benguet could sufficiently meet the country's demand for carrots.
This month alone, Benguet production of carrots is expected to reach some 404 metric tons.
The computation was based on the average production rate of the province since January.
Some 250 to 400 hectares of Benguet soil are devoted to carrots.
Carrot is also being produced in the provinces of Ifugao, Mountain Province, Nueva Vizcaya and Bukidnon.
By November and December, the projected volume would be 5,600 and 6,045 metric tons.
The monthly Manila requirement, on the other hand, is between 2,400 to 2,700 metric tons while combined demand from other areas is 2,000 metric tons.
The total monthly demand for carrots is only between 4,200 to 4,700 metric tons.
The petitioners, in their petition, said "there was no prior consultation with the vegetable farmers of Benguet who are to be greatly be affected by the bilateral agreement."
The Provincial Board (PB) has also passed a resolution opposing the RP-China trade pact.
The passage of the measure came about following a privilege speech delivered by PB Member John Kim who pushed for the conduct of pest risk analysis on agricultural products, particularly carrots, and this would form part of the provisions on liberalized trade between the two countries.
Kim stressed that based on available documents, "there were no studies made on carrots".
He also pointed out that importation of carrots was prohibited since an analysis on the crop was not yet completed.
To support this claim, Kim showed various communications from the plant bureau including the December 12, 2003 memorandum order of former director Blo Adiong; June 11, 2003 report of its quarantine office; January 9, 2004 and February 24, 2004 memos of Golez; and an August 4 letter of BPI Plant Quarantine Service Chief Luben Marasigan indicating that "the BPI is not issuing import permit for carrots coming from China (as) we are still conducting PRA for this commodity".
PB Member William Esteban, meanwhile, suggested that the board's opposition should include "temperate vegetables being produced in Benguet", including carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce, potato and cucumber.
(October 5, 2004 issue)
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