Reverse livestock import move, guv urges DA

By Dolly Yasa

BACOLOD City – Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson asked Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary William Dar to reverse the decision of the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) to import poultry products.

In a statement posted on the provincial government’s official Facebook page over the weekend, Lacson said that “I am one with the poultry raisers in opposing the move.”

Lacson said that “the province of Negros Occidental has always been a surplus province in terms of poultry production with a surplus of over 1,000 metric tons annually.”

But because of the Covid-19 pandemic “our local poultry raisers have experienced tremendous losses due to the low demand for poultry products as restaurants and eatery businesses were closed and are just starting to open and recover.”

The governor said that as reported in the national dailies, the BAI has requested the local poultry raisers to limit their production “and give way to imports.”

“This request is indeed bizarre as instead of developing the local livestock industry, BAI is developing the livestock industry of other countries,” Lacson said.

There is no other consequence that can result from this except that it will further aggravate the losses suffered by our poultry raisers.”

Earlier, Lacson said that he will oppose the plan to import poultry products.

Lacson said the provincial government is joining the call of the local farmers and agri-preneurs against the plan of BAI to limit the production of poultry raisers because the government is planning to import.

“I mean it is so contradictory – how do we revive the economy, one of which is to buy local.”