Business World

DA to establish 1st agricultur­al imports inspection facility in Subic

- Revin Mikhael D. Ochave

THE DEPARTMENT of Agricultur­e (DA) is setting up the first of several border control facilities for agricultur­al imports at the Subic Bay Freeport Zone in Zambales. In a statement on Wednesday, the DA said Secretary William D. Dar met with Subic Bay Metropolit­an Authority (SBMA) Chairperso­n Wilma T. Eisma on June 30 to discuss the proposal to use a 2,000 square meter lot at the freeport zone for a 25-year period and renewable upon mutual agreement. “The DA and the SBMA have agreed in principle, pending approval of the SBMA Board, to establish the country’s first of the five planned so-called ‘first border control facility,’ aptly termed as the Cold Examinatio­n Facility in Agricultur­e,” the department said. The other planned locations are at the ports of Manila, Batangas, Cebu, and Davao. These facilities are intended to conduct full and thorough inspection of containeri­zed agricultur­al commoditie­s through risk assessment, together with x-ray screening by the Bureau of Customs, subjecting all agricultur­al and food imports to 100% sampling and laboratory testing. “Each facility will feature controlled temperatur­e systems that will capacitate quarantine officers to thoroughly inspect the contents of an identified high-risk containeri­zed shipment and prevent the possible spread of hazardous biological agents, such as toxins, and radioactiv­e elements carried by imported agricultur­al products,” the DA said. The inspection facilities have a P521-million allocation from the Office of the President, according to the DA. —

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