The Philippines has issued new import rules to facilitate the entry of “superior” rabbit breeds to boost domestic rabbit meat production, an animal protein alternative eyed by the government due to minimal costs and easier propagation.
The Department of Agriculture (DA) issued Memorandum Circular (MC) 15 that outlined the transitory guidelines regarding the importation of rabbits into the Philippines.
The DA explained that they issued the guidelines to facilitate the “safe importation and introduction of superior genetics from other countries.”
The import rules, which were absent before, according to industry sources, would also prevent the “inadvertent introduction and spread of transboundary animal diseases of rabbits” in the country.
The DA added that the rules were issued following a spike in the application of sanitary and phytosanitary import clearance (SPS-IC) for meat-type rabbit breeds.
“The DA recognizes the increasing interest of many Filipino farmers in raising rabbits for meat production due to the ease in propagation and minimal production costs,” Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar said in the circular.
“The growing awareness and local acceptance of rabbit meat as an alternative source of protein amid the rising prices of major livestock commodities such as pork and poultry meat have ignited a subsequent increase in the SPS Import Clearance request for meat-type rabbit breeds,” Dar added.
Association of Rabbit Meat Producers Inc. (ARaMP) President Art Veneracion told the BusinessMirror welcomed the issuance of the import rules, pointing out that they are necessary to regulate and govern the importation of live rabbits for meat consumption.
“We are in favor of those rules. In fact, those came from us. We were the ones that proposed it because a lot of people wanted to import rabbit,” Veneracion said. “We told them that unless we have the transitory guidelines, the importation should be temporarily suspended.”
Veneracion shared interest for rabbit meat farming boomed in the past two years due to lucrative profits. At the same, Veneracion added that Filipino consumers’ have developed acceptance and awareness of rabbit meat as a protein source.
“Compared to when we started producing and selling rabbit meat, people are now aware that rabbit meat could be part of livestock. There is really a growing acceptance and awareness among Filipino consumers,” he said.
The issuance of the import rules comes a few days after the Bureau of Agriculture and Fisheries Standards (BAFS) disclosed that it has started crafting a Philippine National Standard (PNS) for rabbit slaughtering. (Related story: https://businessmirror.com.ph/2021/08/18/government-crafting-standards-for-slaughtering-rabbits/)
Interested rabbit importers must be registered legal entities and authorized by the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) as a live rabbit importer and their rabbit farms must be accredited as well by the government agency.
The source country of rabbits must be free from Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease/Viral Hemorrhagic Disease (RHD/VHD), Myxomatosis and Tularemia for the past one year and the rabbits must be born and bred in the exporting country, according to the new rules.
Furthermore, live rabbits for breeding/pharmaceutical/surgical/agricultural/industrial use should not be vaccinated against RHD/VHD. The new rules also stipulated that the imported rabbit must be at least 60 days old and not pregnant during the time of travel.
“During transport, no rabbit from another country shall be permitted aboard the vessel or aircraft. No feeds other than from the country of origin are taken aboard the ship or aircraft,” the import rules read.
The import rules also outlined the procedures for SPS-IC import clearance application, border clearance and processing of imported rabbits, quarantine procedures, and penalties regarding live rabbit importation. The transitory import rules will remain in effect for six months starting August 25.