The Department of Agriculture (DA) has temporarily banned the import of poultry products, including meat, eggs, and day-old chicks, from the Netherlands due to a recent bird flu outbreak.
The decision follows the detection of H5N1 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in domestic birds in Aa en Hunze, Drenthe, which was reported to the World Organization for Animal Health on October 8.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. said the ban was imposed to protect the country’s poultry industry, which is essential for food security and employment. The Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) recommended the suspension, which also includes a halt to issuing import clearances for poultry products from the Netherlands.
The ban applies to all shipments arriving after the order was made, except for heat-treated products. Shipments already in transit before the ban will be allowed entry if they meet certain conditions.
This is the second time in less than a year that the DA has banned imports from the Netherlands due to bird flu, with a similar ban imposed in December 2022 and lifted in May 2023.
