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The Department of Agriculture indefinitely banned the importation of poultry and other poultry products from Belgium and France beginning January 8
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The two European nations reported outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza in their domestic birds
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Meat imports already in transit, loaded or accepted before the ban will still be allowed to enter the country if the poultry were slaughtered or the products produced on or before November 12, 2023 in the case of France, and November 16, 2023 for Belgium
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All imports after November 12 and 16 will not be allowed entry, except for heat-treated products
The Department of Agriculture (DA) indefinitely banned the importation of poultry and other poultry products, including wild birds, from Belgium and France from January 8.
The two European nations reported outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in their domestic birds.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel, Jr. said the bans were necessary to prevent the possible entry of HPAI-H5N1 into the Philippines.
“We’re doing this to protect the health of our local poultry population as well as poultry workers and consumers since H5N1 is a virus that can be transmitted to humans by infected animals,” Tiu Laurel said in a statement.
Belgium and France, which share a border, almost simultaneously reported the bird flu outbreak in domestic birds to the World Organization for Animal Health. Belgium submitted its report on December 1, 2023 and France on November 30, 2023.
The import bans also prevent traders from bringing in Belgian and French poultry products including poultry meat, day-old chicks, hatching eggs, and poultry semen into the Philippines.
Meat imports already in transit, loaded or accepted before the ban will still be allowed to enter the country if the poultry were slaughtered or the products were produced on or before November 12, 2023 in the case of France, and November 16, 2023 for Belgium. All imports after these dates will be barred entry, except for heat-treated products.
The Philippines’ total importation of poultry meat increased 1.57% year-on-year in 2022, with 411,070 metric tons valued at US$468.456 million. Belgium accounted for 2.60% of the overall arrivals while no importation was recorded from France.
In 2023, Philippine imports of poultry meat reached 426,620 metric tons valued at $418.130 million, a 3.78% increase compared to the 2022 volume. France and Belgium accounted for 0.01% and 0.59%, respectively, of the total.
