DA reimposes US poultry import ban over avian influenza

The Department of Agriculture (DA) has reimposed an import ban on poultry products from South Dakota in the United States due to recent avian influenza outbreaks.

Effective immediately, the ban covers domestic and wild birds, eggs, semen for artificial insemination, day-old chicks, and other poultry products but excludes heat-treated items.

US veterinary authorities confirmed avian influenza outbreaks in South Dakota on December 17, with laboratory confirmation of the bird flu virus by the National Veterinary Services Laboratories.

DA Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. stated that the ban aims to protect the health of the local poultry industry and prevent the entry of bird flu into the country.

The DA emphasized that the local poultry industry is a multi-billion-peso business crucial for investments, job creation, and food security.

In addition, the Bureau of Animal Industry was ordered to suspend processing and issuance of sanitary and phytosanitary import clearances for affected products.

Veterinary quarantine officers and inspectors have been instructed to confiscate any commodities from South Dakota arriving after the ban's implementation.