Argentinian beef to be welcome arrival on Philippine menus

Argentinian beef
Argentinian beef is renowned as being among the best in the world

Delicious Argentinian beef will be on the menu after Philippine authorities agreed to allow imports.

Three companies from the country have received accreditation from the National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS), Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol announced today (Thursday, September 14).

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This will be the first time that Argentina, with a cattle population of 52 million and a reputation for producing some of the best meat in the world, will be supplying meat to the country.

Last month, we also reported that British beef was returning to the Philippines following a £34 million export deal.

Market access for the country’s beef was withdrawn in 1996 due to concerns over BSE — better known as “mad cow disease”.

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However, following a visit to UK farms by Philippine inspectors earlier this year, the restrictions were lifted.

In a Facebook post, Mr Piñol also said the Department of Agriculture would be working with Argentina “for the implementation of programmes which would result in the increase of the Philippine cattle population from 2.5 million now to five million.”

Coconuts for Argentinian beef 

In exchange, Argentina would be looking at importing coconut products and other agricultural produce from the Philippines.

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Simeon Amurao, of the Bureau of Animal Industry, said the agency had yet to decide on the volume of meat to be imported.

He also said the agency was looking to bulk up its meat imports from the United States, with which the Philippines has “favourable trade incentives”.

Mr Piñol said the ban on Brazilian beef remained, following reports of salmonella found in previous purchases. He said, however, they were awaiting results of further studies on this “isolated case”.

A Philippine delegation is expected to visit Brazil and Argentina in December for another round of trade talks under the World Trade Organisation.

He also said the department would continue trading with Australia, the biggest exporter of beef and live cattle to the country.