The Department of Agriculture (DA) has lifted the import ban on poultry products from various countries recently declared free from bird flu.
In separate issuances, the DA said the risk of contamination from importing poultry from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Saudi Arabia, Slovenia, Sweden and Kelantan and Malaysia’s Sabah states was ‘negligible.’
The DA lifted the import restriction as respective authorities from these countries informed the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) that all reported cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) had ended with resolved status and no additional outbreaks.
To recall, the agency imposed the moratorium on poultry meat, day-old chicks, eggs and semen originating from these areas.
Years-long ban
In 2005 and 2020, respectively, the DA barred the entry of poultry products from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Saudi Arabia and Slovenia.
Subsequently, in 2017 and 2018, the DA enforced the restriction on poultry imports from Kelantan and Sabah in Malaysia.
Meanwhile, the DA implemented the temporary ban on poultry products from Sweden in March last year.
‘All import transactions of the above commodities shall be in accordance with existing rules and regulations of the [DA],’ the issuances stated.
‘Disruptive’ disease
HPAI is a highly contagious viral disease affecting both domestic and wild birds. This animal disease is considered one of the most economically disruptive animal diseases, particularly for the poultry sector.
‘Avian influenza is also a major concern for public health,’ the WOAH said, noting its devastating consequences for the poultry industry, farmers’ livelihoods, global trade and health of wild birds.
Only Sweden is a major supplier of imported meat among the above-mentioned countries.
In the January to August period, Sweden exported 2.79 million kilograms of pork, equivalent to a market share of less than 1 percent, data from the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) showed.
The BAI data said meat import arrivals had risen by 16.5 percent to 1.06 billion kg during the first eight months, about 400,000 kg short of last year’s 1.5 billion kg.
Government data also showed that pork, chicken and beef were the top meat imports of the Philippines.