DA blocks poultry imports from California, Ohio
With the recent outbreaks of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) found in parts of the United States, the Department of Agriculture (DA) banned the importation of poultry meat from California and Ohio.
In a statement on Wednesday, Jan. 17, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the DA closed off imports of domesticated and wild birds which include poultry meat, eggs, and other bird products from the two US states.
Laurel explained that the trade restriction was necessary to prevent the entry of the rapid spread of HPAI H5N1 strain.
“[This virus] necessitates a wider coverage of the trade restriction to prevent the entry of HPAI virus and protect the health of the local population,” he said.
The H5N1 cases were first reported in the two states by the US Veterinary Services to the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) last November.
“Given the geographical land mass of the USA, the Philippines agreed to impose a state-wide ban only when at least three or more counties in an affected state in the US reports an HPAI outbreak,” the DA reported.
Subsequently, the Agriculture chief also ordered the immediate suspension of processing, evaluation of application, and issuance of the Sanitary Phytosanitary Import Clearance (SPSIC) of the banned US poultry.
This excludes the already in transit shipments that have been loaded and/ or accepted at the Philippine ports prior to the ban.
Laurel said the poultry imports that have been processed before Jan. 15 may be allowed in the country given that they were slaughtered at least 14 days before the start of the outbreak.
“Poultry and poultry products imported to the country from the states of California and Ohio after Nov. 14, 2023 and Nov. 21, 2023 respectively, shall be seized and destroyed by the DA, or returned to the country of origin,” the DA explained.
Meanwhile, other US states are excluded from the ban and can still export poultry products to the Philippines.
Last year, the country’s importation of poultry from the US was recorded at 166,356 metric tons, equivalent to $175.78 million.
In the poultry aspect, US has ranked second in the list of suppliers to the Philippines with around 40 percent of arrivals weighing 426,620 MT.