May nakikitang kuneksiyon si House Ways and Means Chairman at Albay Representative Joey Salceda sa isyung pagtaas ng presyo ng itlog at pagpupuslit ng frozen na karne ng manok.
Naniniwala si Salceda na ang smuggling ng frozen meat ay nagsasanhi ng pagbaba ng supply ng itlog na naging dahilan din sa pang-aabuso mula sa trading sector.
Sinabi ni Salceda na mayruong cartel na kumukontrol sa presyo kaya mahalaga na mayruong sapat na suplay ng mga poultry products.
“There is definitely a connection between ensuring that imported chicken meat tariffs are imposed and keeping our domestic egg sector viable. We can import frozen chicken meat, but eggs are much harder to import, so we need a good domestic supply base,” pahayag ni Salceda.
Una ng iniulat ng Philippine Egg Board President Irwan Ambal na nagkaroon ng 20 percent drop sa population ng chicken layers sa Luzon simula nuong January 2022 dahil sa avian flu outbreak.
Dagdag pa ni Salceda ang talamak na smuggling at undervaluation ng chicken imports ay posibleng magdulot ng pagsara sa mga poultry farms sector at magreresulta sa kakulangan ng suplay ng itlog.
“We don’t have the option of resorting to imported eggs if domestic egg prices shoot up. So, we really need to tamp down the abuses in the trading sector, and to ensure that we have enough egg supply,” pahayag ni Cong. Salceda.
Punto din ni Salceda na maaring ikunsidera ng gobyerno ang feed subsidies mula sa tariff revenues mula sa imported corn para suportahan ang egg production.
Nagbabala din si Salceda na ang mataas na presyo ng itlog ay lalong makapagpapala sa malnutrition.
“So, it is a matter of urgent national importance that we act now on egg prices before farm gate prices begin to rise. Right now, it’s still mostly a trader issue, but if domestic chicken supply worsens, farmgate egg prices will rise – and that will be much harder to fight,” pahayag ni Salceda.
