The Philippine agriculture department has ordered the importation ban on poultry products and wild birds coming from the Czech Republic following an outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in the country.
Based on Memorandum Order No. 16 of the Department of Agriculture (DA), the importation ban will cover “domestic and wild birds and their products, including poultry meat, day old chicks, eggs, and semen.”
DA Secretary William Dar also directed the halt in processing, application evaluation, and issuance of Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) import clearance on the banned products.
The shipment of the banned commodities will be stopped and confiscated by veterinary quarantine officers and inspectors in all major ports.
The directive on the ban signed on February 15 aims to protect the local poultry population by preventing the entry of HPAI. – PTV News