DA, PNP intensify crackdown on agri-smuggling

To protect local farmers, the Department of Agriculture (DA), in partnership with the Philippine National Police (PNP), vowed to intensify efforts against agricultural smuggling nationwide.

During a market inspection at Paco public market in Manila on Wednesday, DA officials found suspected smuggled red onions from China that are larger and cleaner than locally grown ones and lack proper sanitary and phytosanitary import clearance.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. emphasized that the crackdown targets sources of these smuggled goods rather than retailers, warning that warehouses will be raided if necessary.

Secretary Laurel ordered safety tests on some sample onions to check their safety for consumption and reassured onion farmers that they would keep investigating to trace the source of smuggled onions.

Chief Directorial Staff Lieutenant General Edgar Okubo of PNP promised to collaborate closely with DA in tracing the origins of such commodities, focusing on warehouses rather than small-time vendors.

Under Republic Act No. 12022, or the Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Act, warehouse heads and others involved in the value chain may face legal consequences for their role in smuggling activities.

The DA is also planning to train police officers to distinguish between locally produced and imported agricultural products as part of efforts to strengthen the government's anti-smuggling campaign.