The Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) has blacklisted 10 companies the past six months for illegal trade activities as part of its ongoing efforts to combat agricultural smuggling and profiteering. The move is part of a broader strategy aimed at curbing the practice of inflating food prices and destabilizing the local market, the agency announced on Tuesday.
“We have blacklisted more companies in the past six months than in the past six years combined. This should serve as a clear warning to those who attempt to challenge our resolve in going after smugglers and unscrupulous traders whose illegal activities harm our farmers, fisherfolk, and consumers,” Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said in a statement.
He said that with the recent passage of the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act, the government is now poised to take stronger action against violators. The blacklisted companies were found to have engaged in the illegal importation of vegetables, fruits, and other food products without the necessary sanitary and phytosanitary import clearances from BPI.
The firms involved include LVM Grains Enterprises, Kysse Lishh Consumer Goods Trading, JRA and Pearl Enterprises Inc., Betron Consumer Goods Trading, RCNN Non-Specialized Wholesale Trading, Chastity Consumer Goods Trading, and Golden Rays Consumer Goods Trading. Among these, Kysse Lishh, RCNN, Chastity, and Golden Rays are not licensed importers.
In addition, several licensed importers were blacklisted for anti-competitive activities such as price manipulation and collusion. These include La Reina Fresh Vegetables Young Indoor Plants Inc., Vegefru Producing Store, and Yom Trading Corp.
BPI Director Gerald Glenn Panganiban confirmed that the license of the blacklisted firms have been revoked, and those operating without licenses have been banned following derogatory findings by the bureau.
The DA said these actions form part of a renewed commitment to protect the agricultural sector from illegal practices that not only undermine the livelihood of local farmers but also negatively impact consumer welfare.
