The Department of Agriculture (DA) said Wednesday it temporarily banned the importation of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD)-susceptible animals and by-products from Turkey to safeguard the Philippines’ livestock industry from the virus.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. issued Memorandum Order (MO) 42 on Oct. 4, 2024, imposing the import ban following Türkey’s report of an FMD outbreak in Cugun, Merkez, Kirsehir, affecting domestic cattle on Sept. 9, 2024
“We’re imposing an import ban to mitigate the risk of FMD transmission to our local animal population,” Tiu-Laurel said.
The DA will maintain the import ban until it determines that the local animal population is no longer at risk from FMD.
FMD is a highly contagious viral disease that affects cloven-hoofed animals, including cattle, pigs, sheep, and goats. It can cause significant economic losses to the livestock industry due to decreased milk production, weight loss, and reproductive problems.
The DA issued 10 measures restricting the import of foreign animals and their meats in 2024 to prevent the spread of zoonotic diseases, majority were on poultry and poultry products.
