Company’s import permits revoked over illegal shipment

MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) has revoked the import license and clearances issued to a Manila-based company over an illegal shipment of agricultural food products from Vietnam.

In a statement on Monday, BPI said that all import clearances issued to LVM Grains Enterprises had been canceled after it noted that the company’s response to a show cause order “wasn’t credible.”

The bureau, which is under the Department of Agriculture (DA) earlier asked LVM to explain why a shipment of milled rice, coffee and cashew nuts from Vietnam without an import clearance was consigned to it.

READ: Show-cause order issued vs DA officials over granting of permit to import onions

“Further, our records also showed that your company has previously committed multiple non-compliance,” read a portion of BPI director Gerald Glenn Panganiban’s order.

In 2022, BPI issued a license to operate to LVM that was valid until May 2025.

More orders issued

In a Viber message, Panganiban said that the bureau issued show cause orders to four entities in May but declined to disclose additional details.

“Regarding the show cause orders, we have definitely issued a lot because we have caught a lot [of unauthorized deliveries] recently,” he added.

Before this, LVM imported 31,525 metric tons of rice this year, according to BPI’s tally as of Aug. 24.

The bureau stressed that any importation of plants, planting materials and plant products requires an import clearance and phytosanitary certificate issued by the country of origin.

Pest-free

“This is to ensure that the shipment was able to comply with the phytosanitary requirements set by our office and ensure freedom of the commodities from quarantine or exotic plant pests,” Panganiban said.

Import clearances are issued by the concerned bureau or agency to ensure that agricultural products being delivered to the country follow existing standards to protect the health of humans, plants and animals, and prevent the spread of diseases or pests.

The DA is mandated by existing laws and regulations to plan, execute, regulate and monitor programs and activities related to agriculture, food production and supply.