P3.5M worth of illegally imported yellow onions from China seized

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MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI), an attached agency of the Department of Agriculture (DA), and Bureau of Customs (BOC) have seized 25 metric tons (MT) of fresh yellow onions from China worth P3.5 million that were brought into the country illegally.

The contraband agricultural products were found in a 40-foot container van at the Manila South Harbor earlier this month.

BPI director Gerard Glen Panganiban said the confiscated goods were being held at the BOC’s yard, adding that these would be destroyed after certain procedures were carried out.

READ: BOC seizes P2-M smuggled onions in Manila

According to the BPI, JRA and Pearl Enterprise Inc. were found to have imported the commodity from China around the time the DA suspended the issuance of permits for onion importations.

The BPI’s Plant Quarantine Service asked the BOC to issue a warrant of seizure-and-detention to allow the inspection of the container van’s contents.

“It’s impossible that this shipment of onions was imported using [a sanitary and phytosanitary import clearance] because we only issued … import clearances in late August,” Panganiban said.

The sanitary and phytosanitary clearance, which certifies that imported agricultural goods adhere to standards, aims to protect the health of the local population, plants and animals, and prevent the spread of any diseases or pests.

“We hope that these confiscations will serve as a warning to unscrupulous traders and companies,” Panganiban said.

Earlier, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. authorized the importation of 16,000 MT of yellow onions until the end of the year to arrest the depletion of local supplies in time for the holiday season as well as stabilize retail prices.

The onion shipments are set to arrive in batches to avoid affecting the local harvest, which will start in January next year.

Blacklisted, sanctioned

Earlier, the DA blacklisted LVM Grains Enterprises, Kysse Lishh Consumer Goods Trading and Golden Rays Consumer Goods Trading for the companies’ failure to secure the necessary sanitary and phytosanitary clearance for importing agricultural goods.

LVM Grains Enterprises was sanctioned for bringing into the country imported milled rice, cashew nuts and coffee.

Kysse Lishh Consumer Goods Trading and Golden Rays Consumer Goods Trading, on the other hand, were penalized after they were found to have imported onions and oranges without import clearances.