The Department of Agriculture (DA) ordered a temporary ban on the importation of domestic and wild birds from New Zealand, which notified the World Organization for Animal Health of local outbreaks of H7N6 subtype of the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus.
DA said the memorandum order (MO) signed by Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. on Monday noted that bird flu outbreaks were recorded in East Otago, Waitaki, Canterbury in New Zealand last November 23.
MO No. 1 series of 2025also suspended the issuance of sanitary and phytosanitary import clearances by the Bureau of Animal Industry for poultry products from New Zealand including poultry meat, day-old chicks, eggs and semen.
“All shipments coming from New Zealand that are in transit/load/accepted unto port before the official communication of this order to the New Zealand authorities shall be allowed provided that the products were slaughtered/produced on or before November 9, 2024,” Tiu Laurel said in the document.
According to the DA, shipments from New Zealand that will not comply will be stopped and confiscated by all veterinary quarantine officers and inspectors at all major ports of entry.
Based on latest data from the Bureau of Animal Industry, as of October 2024, New Zealand provided a total of 917,873 kg of imported chicken meat to the Philippines, equivalent to 0.24 percent of the total volume of chicken imports for the period at 389.95 million kg.
