Group warns vs too much imports

The failure of the Department of Agriculture to control the importation of chicken and pork may stamp out backyard poultry farming and hog raising in the country, Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (Sinag) warned on Sunday.

“Over importation is hurting our local hog and chicken producers,” Sinag chair Rosendo So said in a statement. “There will be backyard raisers who will fold because their earnings are below breakeven,” he said.

So, also the chair of the Abono party-list group, said the volume of imported poultry, pork and vegetables had already exceeded the country’s minimum access volume set by the World Trade Organization. —Marlon Ramos