The Department of Agriculture (DA) has lifted the temporary import ban on wild and domestic birds, including poultry products, from Argentina, Romania and Turkey following the successful containment of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in these countries.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. issued separate memorandum orders authorizing the resumption of imports after confirming the absence of new outbreaks and receiving official clearance from the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH).
The bans were earlier imposed as precautionary measures to safeguard the local poultry industry from the spread of bird flu.
The Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) said it conducted risk assessments showing that the likelihood of HPAI transmission from imported poultry meat, live birds, day-old chicks, and poultry semen from Argentina and Turkey is now “negligible.”
Tiu Laurel said lifting the bans is both strategic and necessary to maintain stable poultry supply, help keep prices affordable and support the sector’s contribution to food security, employment and agribusiness.
