Manila, Philippines — The Department of Agriculture (DA) ordered the temporary suspension of importing poultry products from South Dakota, United States due to bird flu.
In a statement, DA reimposed stricter border controls for bird products coming from South Dakota following recent reports of outbreak of H5N1 avian influenza in the said country.
This is a measure imposed by the agency to prevent entry of the disease and further spread to local poultry of the Philippines.
Memorandum Order No.4 states the coverage of the ban which includes importation of domestic and wild birds and their products, such as poultry meat, day-old chicks, eggs, and semen used for artificial insemination.
Meanwhile, poultry products that are already in transit, loaded, or have arrived at Philippine ports are allowed for entry, as long as they were slaughtered and produced before November 13, 2024.
DA, likewise, ordered the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) to suspend the processing and issuance of sanitary and phytosanitary import clearances for the same products.
The import ban will remain until the outbreak eases or until DA lifts the temporary import suspension.
In August 2024, DA lifted the restrictions of imported poultry products from South Dakota after almost a year since the ban was imposed on November 2023 due to the outbreak of the disease.