Poultry from California, S. Dakota welcome again
The DA issued this directive under Memorandum Order No. 37 dated Aug. 27 and effective immediately, covering live poultry, poultry products and by-products including day-old chicks, eggs, and semen from both states.
The department noted that all cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in the two states have been resolved, and no additional outbreaks had been recorded after June 14 for California and May 29 for South Dakota.
Previously, the DA issued MO No. 69 in November 2023 and MO No. 3 in January this year. These orders respectively imposed a temporary ban on the entry of poultry from South Dakota and California.
In separate reports last year, American authorities reported to the World Organization for Animal Health and the US Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service that there were several outbreaks of avian influenza in Minnesota, South Dakota, California and Ohio — all affecting domestic birds.
However, the agency reinstated the temporary ban on Minnesota fowls in July as the state reported ongoing cases of bird flu.
The DA said earlier the rapid spread of HPAI subtype H5N1 in the US “necessitates a wider coverage of trade restriction to prevent the entry of HPAI virus and protect the health of the local poultry population.”
The US is one of the major suppliers of imported meat in the Philippines. Data from the Bureau of Animal Industry showed that it exported 95.07 million kilograms of meat from January to June this year, mostly chicken and pork.
