The Department of Agriculture (DA) has banned the importation of poultry and other poultry products, including wild birds, from Belgium and France after both countries reported outbreaks of bird flu to the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH).
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel, Jr. stressed the exigency of the ban to prevent the possible entry of the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI)-H5N1 into the Philippines.
“We’re doing this to protect the health of our local poultry population, as well as poultry workers and consumers since H5N1 is a virus that can be transmitted to humans by infected animals,” Laurel said.
Belgium and France, which share a common border, almost simultaneously reported the bird flu outbreak in domestic birds to the WOAH.
Belgium submitted its report on December 1, 2023, while France on November 30, 2023.
The DA said the ban was effective immediately as border controls were strengthened to ensure that no French and Belgian poultry and other poultry products get pass the Bureau of Customs.
The indefinite import bans also prevent traders from bringing in Belgian and French poultry products including poultry meat, day-old chicks, hatching eggs, and poultry semen into the Philippines starting January 8, 2024.
Meat imports already in transit, loaded or accepted before the ban will still be allowed to enter the country if the poultry were slaughtered or the products were produced on or before Nov. 12, 2023 in the case of France, and Nov. 16, 2023 for Belgium.
All imports after the above-mentioned dates will not be allowed entry, except for heat-treated products.
The Philippines’ total importation of poultry meat increased by 1.57 percent to 411,070 metric tons worth $468.45 million in 2022 compared to 2021.
Belgium accounted for 2.6 percent of the overall arrivals, while no importation was recorded from France.
In 2023, the Philippine imported $418.13 million of poultry meat at 426,620 MT, 3.78 percent higher than 2022 figures. France and Belgium account for 0.01 percent and 0.59 percent respectively, of total imports.