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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Pamalakaya warns: Excessive reliance on imports will harm local food production

Pamalakaya warns: Excessive reliance on imports will harm local food production

Published Oct 27, 2022 02:09 pm

A fisherfolk group challenged the national government to end the importation of salt and other agri-fishery products, stressing that the “continued dependence” to imported commodities will bring more damage to the Philippines than good.

(Manila Bulletin File Photo)

Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya), on Thursday, Oct. 27, decried the administration’s steadfast support to import-liberalization policies.

“How insulting that we have been importing fishery products despite being an archipelagic country endowed with abundant marine and aquatic resources. Adding salt to the wound, we do not even meet our local salt quota,” said Pamalakaya Vice Chair for Luzon Bobby Roldan.

Roldan then cited the Philippine Association of Salt Industry Networks’ (PhilASIN) data, revealing that the country has imported at least 92 percent of its salt requirements in 2019 and 2022.

Earlier, PhilASIN warned that the country may import as much as 96 percent of its salt requirements by 2030 due to local salt production shortage.

Alarmed by this projection, Pamalakaya challenged the Philippine government to support the local salt industry by protecting the coastal communities against “all forms of destructive conversion and reclamation projects.”

The fisherfolk group likewise appealed for the termination of import-liberalization policies, renewing its call to strengthen the local agriculture and fisheries.

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