THE Department of Agriculture (DA) has forged an agreement with the Bureau of Customs (BOC) to ensure the complete destruction of condemned farm goods, helping curb agricultural smuggling.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the department signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the BOC last week, which outlines the roles of the respective agencies regarding condemned goods.
‘The MOA defines the roles of each agency when a container is seized or needs to be opened-the protocols up until its release,’ Tiu Laurel told reporters on the sidelines of a Senate hearing on the DA’s proposed 2027 budget.
‘If it’s smuggled, it goes all the way to rendering [facilities]. If there’s no issue upon opening, then it will be released immediately,’ he added.
Tiu Laurel said the agreement means DA officials, particularly the DA Inspectorate and Enforcement Unit, as well as those from other government agencies, are present to ensure that condemned farm goods are properly destroyed.
This, following reports that condemned agricultural shipments bound to be destroyed in rendering facilities were allegedly sold to the market, despite being deemed unfit for human consumption.
‘It’s a matter of food safety. It’s a matter of eliminating smuggling,’ Tiu Laurel said.
Under the rules, the National Meat Inspection Services (NMIS) issues a certification stating that the condemned agricultural products are not fit for human consumption prior to disposal in recognized rendering facilities.
Further, the DA chief said the MOA would also help ease the movement of agricultural products.
‘It’s also more efficient for everyone. Whether they are importers or exporters, they can have a better flow of their goods.
Earlier, Tiu Laurel noted that the DA will start the bidding for the construction of Cold Examination Facilities for Agriculture (Cefas) when it receives the special allotment release order (Saro) under its 2026 budget.
‘Three Cefas will be built at the [Ports of] Manila, Subic, and Davao. The actual bidding can start as soon as we get the Saro. So, technically we’re ready to implement the three [sites],’ he said.
The DA earlier allocated around P1.2 billion or P313 million each to build the three Cefas this year.
He noted that once these were bid out, construction could take 12 months, with the DA’s deadline to complete the three Cefas set at end-2027. This means it could be operational in 2028.