Meat shortage looms; ECQ and checkpoints blamed

Update

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Association of Meat Processors Inc. on Friday said they are anticipating a “severe shortage” of meat products by mid-April due to checkpoints amid the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in Luzon.

In a letter addressed to Trade and Industry Secretary Ramon Lopez, PAMPI said that following their review of the production and inventory status of their key members, “inventories of finished goods and/or raw materials at the plants are good for 15 days or less” as of March 19.

“Main reason is the inability to receive raw materials (meats, packaging materials, ingredients, etc.) needed in manufacturing due to the checkpoints leading to plant locations. Company shuttles for plant employees are being stopped,” PAMPI said.

“Imported raw meat [products] are held up at the port because our customs brokers cannot go to the BOC (Bureau of Customs) to file import entries because they are not authorized to travel. They have asked the BOC to just close the port out of desperation,” it added.

According to PAMPI, Century Pacific has confirmed that it has less 15 days of supply or inventory, Foodsphere has 11 days, while Virginia Food has 20 days remaining at its warehouse in Manila.

“Velfram (Franks and Burgers) which has 1,200 stores shut down its plant today; King Sue based in Caloocan will close on Saturday. Other members are holding on for as long as they can,” PAMPI said.

With these in consideration, PAMPI said: “We expect that by the first week of April, our inventories will run out without adequate new production, along with those in possession of distributors/retailers. Thus, we anticipate a severe shortage of our goods by mid-April.”

PAMPI said it is leaving it up to the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) and the Department of Trade and Industry to “determine if our situation is salvageable.”

“We agree that a lockdown is necessary to stop the contagion; unfortunately, we were not prepared for it in terms of increased production and bigger raw mat inventories. Also, many of our members operate on JIT basis to save on costs,” PAMPI said.

Shortage not true

Late Friday, the DTI chief told reporters in a Viber message that the meat shortage scenario “is not true.”

“They are producing everyday. All food companies are allowed to produce everyday,” he said.

Lopez said cargo trucks are allowed to move unhampered, stressing that “there were just implementation glitches at first two days of ECQ since some trucks stopped at checkpoints. ”

“But Cargo movement has already improved on Day 3 onward,” he said.

President Rodrigo Duterte earlier placed the entire Luzon under enhanced community quarantine as part of the government’s effort to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

Under the enhanced community quarantine, “strict home quarantine shall be implemented in all households; transportation shall be suspended; provision for food and essential services shall be regulated; and heightened presence of uniformed personnel to enforce quarantine procedures will be implemented.”

The quarantine, however, does not cover private establishments providing basic necessities related to food, medicine, banks, power, energy, water, telecommunications, among others. Witha report from Roy Stephen Canivel