THE Department of Agriculture (DA) said on Wednesday that it lifted a temporary ban on imports of poultry and poultry by-products from Japan.
In Memorandum Order No. 31, the DA said the ruling follows an official report by the Japanese government to the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH).
“This order is hereby issued to lift the temporary ban on importing domestic and wild birds and their products, including poultry meat, day-old chicks, eggs and semen originating from Japan,” the DA said.
It added that all reported Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) cases have been resolved, with no additional outbreaks reported after June 2.
“The H5N1 strain could spread rapidly among bird population, including poultry that is a multibillion-peso industry in the Philippines,” the DA added.
In January, the DA barred Japanese poultry imports following a reported outbreak.
Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries reported the HPAI outbreak to the WOAH on Nov. 28.
“Based on the evaluation of the DA, the risk of contamination from importing live poultry, poultry meat, day-old chicks, eggs and semen is negligible,” it added. — Adrian H. Halili
