The Department of Agriculture (DA) has lifted its temporary ban on the importation of poultry products from Australia, a move expected to reinvigorate bilateral meat trade and stabilize local poultry prices amid ongoing supply pressures.
The decision was signed on July 25 and publicly announced Monday. The lifting follows official confirmation from Australian veterinary authorities, through the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH), that the country has successfully contained recent outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). No new cases have been reported since 13 June 2025.
Under the new directive, the Philippines will resume the importation of domestic and wild birds, poultry meat, day-old chicks, eggs, and semen originating from Australia, provided that all shipments comply with the country’s current sanitary and phytosanitary regulations.
Industry observers note that the resumption of poultry imports from Australia is significant, not just for food security but also for revitalizing trade channels. While Australia exported no chicken meat to the Philippines between January and April 2025, it remained a key meat supplier, contributing 22.2 million kilograms of beef, duck, and lamb — about 4.7 percent of the country’s total meat imports for the period, according to the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI).
Local market data from the DA shows that, as of 25 July, prices of whole dressed chicken in Metro Manila ranged between P200 and P260 per kilogram. With the lifting of the ban, importers are expected to re-engage Australian suppliers, which could help ease poultry supply constraints and price volatility in the domestic market.
