No shipment permit for 500 egg trays

THE Department of Agriculture (DA)- Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) and poultry growers in Davao Region agreed to allow the vehicles of poultry buyers to carry a maximum of 500 egg trays without presenting a shipping permit.

In a Mindanao-Wide Avian Influenza (AI) Conference yesterday, September 7, held at The Apo View Hotel, various representatives from different big and small poultry companies in Mindanao expressed their concerns regarding the AI related polices and issues crafted by the DA-BAI, especially on the matter regarding the shipment of poultry products.

Southern Philippine Egg Producers Association (Spepa) Representative Engelbert M. Pascual, in an interview, said most of the poultry owners are having difficulties in securing the required permits and certificates allowing the companies or farms to transport their products through their customers.

"DA-BAI required us to provide shipment permits to all our buyers but the problem is there are some customers who do not have vehicles so we cannot make a final assessment because the purchase of our customers is

not certain," Pascual said. In their discussion, he said DA-BAI Director Enrico P. Garzon settled their concern by setting a maximum volume of 500 egg trays per consumer's vehicle wherein those vehicles carrying less than 500 trays will no longer have to present a shipping permit but only the official receipt from the poultry company.

Those vehicles carrying more than 500 egg trays, on the other hand, have to comply with the required shipping permit and veterninary health certificates coming from the poultry supplier before they are allowed to enter their vehicles after the quarantine control team per region.

Meanwhile, DA 11 AI Spokesperson Dannie Apelo said other concerns of the poultry industry such as the re-implement the ban on movement of poultry animals and products from Luzon to other parts of the country and the local regulations shall need a more thorough discussion as the matter requires national government's participation.

"These are government rules which we cannot just simply change. As of now, poultry industry must follow the guidelines because this is for the safety of all stakeholders in the country and not just for one specific industry," Apelo said.

He said the processing of veterinary health certficates, which is the sole requirement for the issuance of the shipping permit, only takes seven days for free if the municipality or city administrators do not ask for any fees.

Still, Apelo said poultry industry can assure DA's support in regards to their business operation concerns. BSC