The Department of Agriculture (DA) has lifted the temporary ban on the importation of domestic and wild birds from Belgium and France after no additional bird flu outbreaks were reported since February 21 and February 24, respectively.
DA Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. issued separate memorandum orders dated April 11 to lift the import prohibition, including products like poultry meat, day-old chicks, eggs and semen.
Import bans were imposed last year after the two countries reported infections of the highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 strain.
Based on data from the Bureau of Animal Industry, Belgium supplied the Philippines from January to November 2023 with a total of 1,870,203 kilograms (kg) equivalent to 0.5 percent of the 393,288,739 kg of total chicken imported by the country for the said period.
Meanwhile, based on the same set of data, France has not supplied any chicken meat to the Philippines for the period.
