The Department of Agriculture (DA) said Thursday it reimposed a temporary ban on the importation of domestic and wild birds, including poultry products, from The Netherlands following an additional outbreak of the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI).
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the ban would protect the Philippine poultry industry, a vital sector that drives significant investments generates jobs and contributes to national food security.
The decision was prompted by a report from The Netherlands’ Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality, confirming an outbreak of the H5 subtype of avian influenza in Putten, Gelderland on Nov. 17, 2024.
Wageningen Bioveterinary Research confirmed that certain domestic birds contracted the virus in the area.
Tiu Laurel issued Memorandum Order No. 56, instructing the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) to suspend the processing and issuance of sanitary and phytosanitary import clearances for poultry imports from The Netherlands to mitigate the risk to local poultry.
The ban covers poultry meat, day-old chicks, eggs and semen used for artificial insemination.
The order also directs veterinary quarantine officers to confiscate affected commodities imported from The Netherlands, except for shipments in transit or those arriving at local ports that meet specific criteria.
Poultry products should have been slaughtered on or before Nov. 3, 2024 to be exempt from the ban, excluding heat-treated products.
