The Department of Agriculture, specifically the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) and not the Department of Health (DOH) should have jurisdiction over animal feeds and veterinary medicine, according to the Philippine Association of Feed Millers Inc (PAFMI).
Nicole Garcia, PAFMI president, said BAI has been performing the functions of registering, testing, inspecting and issuing permits to the animal feeds industry and veterinary drugs and medicine with its staff of veterinarians and animal nutritionists well-trained, equipped and experienced in animal sciences and veterinary medicine.
“It is therefore just appropriate that they be given the authority to oversee these functions permanently,” Garcia said, amid proposals for the DOH and its attached agency the Food and Drug Authority (FDA) to take over these functions.
PAFMI said FDA’s expertise and training are on overseeing and ensuring the safety of food products, drugs, cosmetics and medicines for human consumption .
Resolving the turf issue now is also crucial to enable the DOH and the FDA focus on the task of battling the new coronavirus disease 2019 and for the BAI to handle efficiently the African swine fever and the Avian flu virus in the livestock and poultry industry.
PAFMI fears the impasse may cause delays in the release of imported veterinary drugs and feed ingredients and lead to unnecessary costs
