GOV’T ALLOWS TRANSPORT OF LIVE BIRDS
The Department of Agriculture (DA) is now allowing the transport of some poultry products to ensure ample supply as most cases of bird flu in the country have been contained.
The DA has issued the updated guidelines governing the movement of live poultry and nonpoultry and poultry products and by-products across different regions in the Philippines.
To “ensure supply chain continuity and local food sufficiency, the movement of different poultry related commodities will be allowed subject to additional safety measures to prevent the further spread of HPAI (highly pathogenic avian influenza) to the remaining free areas in the country,” the memorandum circular read.
Confirmed cases were reported in the provinces of Bulacan, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, Bataan, Laguna, Camarines Sur, Benguet, Sultan Kudarat, North Cotabato, South Cotabato, Davao del Sur, Maguindanao and Isabela.
The majority of affected poultry species are ducks and quails, with H5N1 and H5N8 subtypes being the most dominant strains.
All outbreaks have been resolved except in Sagrada, Camarines, the Philippines reported earlier to the World Organization for Animal Health.
That said, the DA is now allowing the movement of all species of live birds (poultry and nonpoultry) from mainland Luzon—particularly Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Bicol and Cordillera Administrative Region and Mimaropa—to other parts of the Philippines.
Day-old broilers, pullets and breeders may now be transported, provided that avian influenza test results from its source farm were negative. It should be valid for 28 days from the date of sample collection. For hatching eggs and readyto-lay pullets, negative test results from its source farm must be presented. The validity of test results is 14 days for hatching eggs and seven days for ready-to-lay pullets from the sample collection date.
The agency, however, is restricting the shipment of certain species for 30 days.
The delivery of game fowls from Mimaropa, Visayas and nonaffected cities/municipalities in Mindanao to any destination within the country is allowed as long a veterinary health certificate and negative test results with a validity of six months are given.
Transporting game fowls back to Mimaropa, Visayas and nonaffected areas in Mindanao is prohibited.
The movement of ducks within Mimaropa and Visayas, and from Mimaropa and Visayas to mainland Luzon and Mindanao is permitted if a veterinary health certificate and two negative test results are submitted. The two consecutive test results must be taken at least two weeks apart from the same flock, and the validity of the second test result will be two weeks.
Transporting quails within Mimaropa and Visayas, and from Mimaropa and Visayas to mainland Luzon and Mindanao, are likewise authorized if a veterinary health certificate and negative test result are shown. Samples must be taken across the flock within the last six months.
Inter-regional movement of stranded grazing ducks due to the avian influenza outbreaks shall be allowed within Mindanao, subject to certain requirements.
The same applies for intra-island movement and inter-island deliveries of day-old chicks, as well as for hatching eggs and ready-tolay pullets if negative test results within the last six months are produced and other regulatory requirements are fulfilled.