Smuggled vegetables are continuing to enter the Philippines despite a crackdown by the country’s government cracking down on illegal entry.
While smuggling has been slowed significantly through the ports of Manila and Batangas, black-market vegetables from China are still entering via the southern ports of Visayas and Mindanao, reported the Manila Bulletin.
Smugglers are bringing the produce in from China and transferring it to local containers to make it appear Philippine-grown, according to industry figures.
Illegal imports of Chinese carrots and potatoes in particular this year have seriously pushed down the price of locally produced crops, angering grower groups.
Farmers have called on the Philippine government to give greater support to local growers to ensure the smuggled vegetables don’t crush the industry.
Local production from Benguet, Mountain Province and Ifugao fill around 70 per cent of Philippine demand for semi-temperate vegetables, according to the Manila Bulletin report.
