DA lifts import ban on Japanese poultry

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Agriculture (DA) has lifted the temporary ban on the importation of poultry, poultry products and wild birds from Taragi-machi, Kumamoto, Japan after the outbreak of bird flu in the area has been resolved.

Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala ordered on April 15, 2014 a ban on the importation of domestic and wild birds and poultry products such as meat, day old chicks, eggs and semen from the said location after an outbreak of high pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) subtype H5 in a broiler farm was confirmed by the Kumamoto Livestock hygiene laboratory.

The outbreak was duly reported to the Office Internationale des Epizooties (OIE) Animal Health Information Department as H5 and H7 HPAI virus are among the notifiable OIE-listed terrestrial animal diseases.

The government thus ordered the immediate suspension of veterinary quarantine clearance for the importation of such commodities and notified all DA quarantine officers in major Philippine ports to immediately confiscate all such shipments arriving in the country with the exception of heat-treated products.

Alcala ordered the ban lifted in January 12, 2015 having received confirmation from the OIE that “Japan is now free from HPAI.”

 “Based on the evaluation of the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI), the risk of contamination from importing poultry and poultry products from Japan is negligible,” said Alcala.

As such, all imports of domestic and wild birds including poultry meat and poultry products from Japan would thus be allowed to enter the country again according to the existing rules and regulations of the DA, BAI and the National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS).

The order is effective immediately.

The OIE is an inter-governmental organization that informs governments of the occurrence of animal diseases and of ways to control these diseases.

It also coordinates the conduct of studies devoted to the surveillance and control of animal diseases and of harmonizing regulations to facilitate trade in animals and animal products.

The Philippine government is strictly protecting the domestic poultry sector as it is among the strongest farm subsectors in the country, having remained free from avian influenza that has affected neighboring Asian countries.

The Agriculture department is using this leverage to open more export destinations for Philippine poultry and poultry products.