THE Philippine government on Monday assured banana exporters that it is set to roll out measures to help them expand their access to the Chinese market.
The Department of Agriculture (DA) made the statement following the recent dumping of 34.78 metric tons (MT) of Philippine bananas in Shenzhen, China.
The bananas were perceived to be exceeding the maximum residue limit (MRL) for pesticides set by the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection, and Quarantine (AQSIQ) of China.
A plan of action was also drafted following the stakeholders’ forum conducted by the DA last week. It includes auditing the findings of the notification of AQSIQ about the destruction of 34.78 MT of fresh bananas.
The Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) will also conduct an audit of the company, which shipped out the bananas that were intercepted and destroyed.
Agriculture Undersecretary Emerson Palad said a technical group will go to China to discuss the matter with AQSIQ and “formulate” agreements about their importing requirements.
While the DA is hopeful that the matter was just “an isolated case,” Palad said Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala wants the MRL issue to be promptly addressed.
BPI Director Paz Benavidez said the MRL of the bananas exceeded the importing standards of China, but did not exceed the standards of other countries which import Philippine bananas.
Benavidez said China’s MRL for carbendazim, a fungicide, is 0.01 milligram per kilogram.
This, however, is more stringent than Japan’s 3.0 mg per kg and the 0.2 mg per kg set by the UN
Codex Alimentarius Commission.
Meanwhile, DA Regional Director Remelyn R. Recoter said the DA will strengthen its linkage with banana stakeholders and local government units, and provide them updates regarding the actions that will be undertaken.
According to data from the Philippine Statistics Authority, China ranked fourth among the Philippines’s top 10 market destinations for exports in January.
Shipments to China were valued at $405.65 million, 8.6 percent lower than the $443.96 million recorded a year ago.