August 14, 2013

Philippines temporarily bans poultry meat products from Arkansas

The Philippine's Department of Agriculture (DA) issued a temporary ban on the importation of domestic and wild birds (including day old chicks, eggs and semen) originating from Scott County, Arkansas, in response to a detection of Low Pathogenic Avian Influenza (LPAI) H7N7 in the area.

The importation of poultry meat from Scott County will continue to be allowed provided an International Veterinary Certificate is presented attesting that the meat comes from notifiable avian influenza free flocks. The ban, under Memorandum Order 26, was signed on July 26, 2013 and took effect immediately.

While the original ban applied to the entire state, Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) and Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Manila were able to convince the Philippine's DA to issue a much narrower ban consistent with previous LPAI related restrictions.

Consistent with the OIE Terrestrial Code of 2012, the importation of poultry meat from Scott County will continue to be allowed provided an International Veterinary Certificate (IVC) is presented attesting that the meat comes from notifiable avian influenza free flocks.

Heat treated products will also continue to be allowed provided additional information on temperature, duration of heating or pasteurisation is included in the IVC.

The Philippines imported roughly US$95 million worth of US live poultry and poultry products in 2012, up almost 19% from the previous year.

The Philippines is the largest market for US poultry products in Southeast Asia and Arkansas is the second largest poultry producer in the United States.