IMPORT BAN. A poultry raiser feeds some of his chicken at his small backyard farm in Caloocan City on Wednesday (Jan. 10, 2024). The Department of Agriculture has banned the importation of domesticated and wild birds, including poultry meat, eggs and other products, from the US states of California and Ohio. (PNA photo by Ben Briones)
MANILA – The Department of Agriculture (DA) has banned the importation of domesticated and wild birds, including poultry meat, eggs and other products, from the US states of California and Ohio.
In a news release Wednesday, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu-Laurel Jr. said the move was due to several outbreaks of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in the region.
“The rapid spread of the HPAI H5N1 strain in the United States since the first laboratory detection necessitates a wider coverage of the trade restriction to prevent the entry of HPAI virus and protect the health of the local population,” he said.
The case of H5N1 was reported by the US Veterinary Services to the World Organization for Animal Health in November for both states of California and Ohio.
The Philippines agreed to impose a state-wide ban only when at least three or more counties in an affected state in the US report an HPAI outbreak.
The ban would also include day-old chicks and semen.
Tiu-Laurel also ordered the immediate suspension of the processing, evaluation of application, and issuance of the Sanitary Phytosanitary Import Clearance (SPSIC) of the commodities.
All shipments coming from California and Ohio that are already in transit, loaded or accepted at Philippine ports before the official communication of the ban on Jan. 15, 2024 shall be allowed.
However, it must be assured that these products were produced or the birds were slaughtered four 14 days before the first outbreak.
The DA will seize and destroy or return to the states of origin poultry and poultry products imported to the country from California and Ohio after Nov. 14, 2023 and Nov. 21, 2023 respectively.
The country’s importation of poultry meat from the US in 2023 has reached 166,356 metric tons.
The US ranks second on the list of countries supplying poultry meat to the Philippines, which is roughly 40 percent of total poultry meat arrivals (426,620 metric tons).
Other states from the US are excluded from the temporary restriction issued by the DA.
They can still import poultry and poultry products to the Philippines. (PNA)
