Agriculture Sec. Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr.
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� Some 10 companies have ended up being blacklisted by authorities in the last six months for their involvement in illegal trade acts or other unlawful agricultural practices, according to the Department of Agriculture (DA).
鈥淲e have blacklisted more companies in the past six months than in the past six years combined,鈥� Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said on Tuesday.
LVM Grains Enterprises, Kysse Lishh Consumer Goods Trading, JRA and Pearl Enterprises Inc., Betron Consumer Goods Trading, RCNN Non-Specialized Wholesale Trading, Golden Rays Consumer Goods Trading, and Chastity Consumer Goods Trading were sanctioned for bringing in imported vegetables, fruits and other food products without the necessary sanitary and phytosanitary import clearances.
Kysse Lishh, RCNN, Chastity Consumer Goods Trading and Golden Rays are not even licensed importers, according to the DA.
READ: DA blacklists 3 importers; 5 others face sanctions
Three other companies with import licenses鈥擫a Reina Fresh Vegetables Young Indoor Plants Inc., Vegefru Producing Store and Yom Trading Corp.鈥攚ere also sanctioned for their involvement in anticompetitive practices such as price manipulation and collusion.
Clear warning
Bureau of Plant Industry Director Gerald Glenn Panganiban said that based on their findings, the licenses of the blacklisted firms were revoked. Those without licenses, on the other hand, were banned.
鈥淭his should serve as a clear warning to those who attempt to challenge our resolve in going after smugglers and unscrupulous traders whose illegal activities harm our farmers, fisherfolk and consumers,鈥� Tiu Laurel said.
The punitive actions are in line with the DA鈥檚 intensified efforts to end smuggling, profiteering, hoarding, cartels, and other related activities that push up food prices and destabilize the local market.
Tiu Laurel said the government was 鈥減repared to take more decisive actions鈥� against smugglers, especially with the recent enactment of the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act.
Under the law, smuggling, hoarding, and cartel operations involving agricultural products are classified as economic sabotage.
Rice, corn, beef and other ruminants, pork, poultry, garlic, onions, carrots, other vegetables, fruit, fish, salt and other aquatic products in their raw state are covered under the law.
The smuggling and hoarding of agricultural products is also considered economic sabotage when the value of the goods exceeds P10 million.