‘Product of China’ broccoli sparks DA smuggling probe

National

A BOX of broccoli labeled “Product of China” at Baguio Hangar Market has prompted the Department of Agriculture (DA) to investigate the alleged smuggling of highland vegetables in Benguet.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. ordered the DA’s Inspectorate and Enforcement office (DA-IE) and the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) to investigate reports involving carrots, broccoli and other highland vegetables amid concerns over unfair competition facing local farmers, particularly in the Cordillera.

The directive followed monitoring operations in Baguio City and La Trinidad, Benguet, where authorities found imported or allegedly smuggled broccoli being sold alongside locally grown produce.

A DA-Cordillera report dated October 15 identified three stalls at Baguio Hangar Market displaying imported broccoli. Interviews with vendors and distributors indicated that about 50 boxes, costing around P1,250 each, were reportedly sourced every other day from a supplier in Santo Cristo, Divisoria, and transported through vegetable trucks returning from Manila.

Retail prices in monitored areas ranged from P170 to P250 per kilo, according to the report.

Authorities have yet to establish whether the vegetables were smuggled into the country. The reported supply sources and distribution arrangements remain subject to verification.

“We will get to the bottom of this, and if violations of the Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Law were indeed committed, we will make sure these violators are punished,” Tiu Laurel said in a Philstar report.

Market facilitators also reported difficulties selling locally grown produce, with some buyers reportedly favoring cheaper imported supplies, adding pressure on Benguet farmers.

To strengthen enforcement, DA-Cordillera recommended joint inspections by DA-IE and BPI at major trading hubs in Metro Manila, Calabarzon and Central Luzon. The inspections would cover import documents, plant quarantine compliance and food safety requirements.

The regional office also urged coordination with the Department of the Interior and Local Government and the Department of Trade and Industry, along with local government units and market stakeholders, to improve market monitoring and enforce proper price tagging and product labeling.

During a September coordination meeting of the Benguet Province task force, DA-Cordillera presented its joint monitoring reports and discussed marketing concerns with the Department of Trade and Industry in connection with the implementation of the Consumer Act of the Philippines.

Meanwhile, BPI personnel collected broccoli samples for testing for heavy metals and formalin, according to the DA-Cordillera report.(MyTVCebu)