January 11, 2024

In response to recent bird flu outbreaks in Belgium and France, the Philippines' Department of Agriculture declared an indefinite ban on imports of poultry and related products from both countries, including wild birds, The Star reported.

The move aims to safeguard the local poultry population, poultry workers, and consumers from the H5N1 virus, which can be transmitted to humans by infected animals, according to Philippines Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel.

France and Belgium reported bird flu outbreaks in their bird populations to the World Organization for Animal Health in November and December last year.

The import ban implemented by the Philippines extends to various poultry products from Belgium and France, encompassing poultry meat, day-old chicks, hatching eggs, and poultry semen. The Department of Agriculture emphasised the preventive measure to curtail the spread of the virus to the Philippines.

In 2023, the Philippines imported 426,620 metric tonnes of poultry meat, reflecting a 3.78% increase from the previous year. Belgium accounted for 0.59% of these imports, while France contributed 0.01%.

-       The Star