ZAMBOANGA CITY – A lawmaker has appealed for an intensified drive against smuggling of agricultural products in the country so as to protect the local farmers.

During his recent visit here, Agricultural Sector Alliance (AGAP) party-list Rep. Nicanor Briones said that the farmers, hog and poultry raisers are now suffering from the continuous smuggling of imported onions, carrots, potatoes and meat, which are now being sold in different markets in the country, particularly in Divisoria.

He said that during the early years, agricultural products usually came from provinces, but now these products came from warehouses in Metro Manila and other areas and are being sold to the provinces. Briones stressed that at this time of crisis, the government must help the farmers, whose livelihoods were affected by the typhoons that hit the country recently.

The party-list representatives said that based from the reports of the Department of Agriculture (DA), the recent typhoons have caused more than P18 billion worth of damages to the agriculture sector.

“Ngayon higit na tulungan ng gobyerno ang mga magsasaka sa pamamagitan ng pagsugpo sa smuggling at pagkakaloob ng libreng butil, pataba at patubig,” Briones said. (Nonoy Lacson)