PH bans importation of birds, poultry from Türkiye

The Philippine government, through the Department of Agriculture (DA), is banning the importation of domestic and wild birds and their products from Türkiye.

In a statement on Friday, Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. issued the temporary import ban following an outbreak of bird flu among domestic birds in the said country.

The temporary import ban also covers poultry meat, day-old chicks, eggs, and semen used for artificial insemination.

Tiu Laurel emphasized that the import restriction is “a pre-emptive measure to safeguard the poultry industry, a vital sector of the economy that generates jobs and investments and plays an essential role in the government’s push for food security.”

The directive was triggered by Turkish veterinary authorities’ report to the World Organization on Animal Health on March 5 of an outbreak of H5N1 High Pathogenicity Avian Influenza in Sarayduzu, Merkez affecting domestic birds.

The memorandum order, issued by Tiu Laurel, stopped the issuance and processing of sanitary and phytosanitary import clearances for the importation of the identified commodities from Türkiye, and ordered the refusal of entry of products slaughtered or manufacturer before January 1 this year. — BAP, GMA Integrated News