December 23, 2024

Philippines imposes temporary ban on cattle imports from Japan amid lumpy skin disease outbreak

The Philippines' Department of Agriculture (DA) has announced a temporary ban on the importation of live cattle, buffalo, and related products from Japan.

This decision comes in response to an outbreak of lumpy skin disease (LSD), a viral infection affecting cattle, which was reported by Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries to the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) on November 15, 2024.

In a statement, the DA highlighted the necessity of the import ban to safeguard the country's livestock industry from the potential threats posed by LSD. The disease, characterised by fever, nodules on the skin, mucous membranes, and internal organs, as well as emaciation and enlarged lymph nodes, can result in severe complications or death among affected cattle.

The World Organisation for Animal Health has described LSD as a disease of significant economic concern. It can lead to a temporary reduction in milk production, temporary or permanent sterility in bulls, damage to hides, and in some cases, fatalities.

The ban encompasses live cattle and buffalo, as well as products and by-products derived from these animals, including unpasteurised milk and milk products, embryos, skin, and semen used for artificial insemination. However, certain items that meet Philippine import and health standards are exempted. These include skeletal muscle meat, casings, gelatin, collagen, tallow, hooves and horns, blood meal and flour, bovine and buffalo bones and hides, and pasteurised milk.

The DA underscored the importance of this measure to mitigate risks to the local livestock industry while maintaining standards for imports that comply with health and safety regulations.

-      GMA Network