The Department of Agriculture (DA) said Thursday it issued a temporary ban on the importation of live cattle and buffalo, as well as their products, from Japan over a recent outbreak of Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD).
DA Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. noted the importance of the ban in safeguarding the country’s livestock industry.
“This ban is crucial to protect our local cattle and water buffalo populations from the LSD virus,” he said.
LSD is a viral disease that can cause severe illness and death in cattle. Symptoms include fever, skin nodules, weight loss, swollen lymph nodes and fluid accumulation.
Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries reported the outbreak in Maebaru, Fukuoka to the World Organization for Animal Health on Nov. 15, 2024.
The ban covers a wide range of products, including unpasteurized milk and milk products, embryos, skin and semen.
Certain products, such as skeletal muscle meat, casings, gelatin, collagen and pasteurized milk, are exempt if they meet Philippine import and health standards.
Japan is a major producer of Kobe and Wagyu beef.
