DA bans poultry products from South Dakota over bird flu issue

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Agriculture (DA) has reinstated a temporary ban on poultry imports from South Dakota, USA, after a recent outbreak of the highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1. 

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. emphasized that this measure aims to safeguard the Philippines’ multibillion-peso poultry industry, which is crucial to food security, job creation, and investment opportunities for Filipinos.

The ban covers domestic and wild birds, day-old chicks, eggs, poultry semen, and other related products. Memorandum Order 04 directs the Bureau of Animal Industry to halt the processing of import clearances and instructs veterinary quarantine officers to confiscate banned items. Exemptions include heat-treated poultry products and those slaughtered before November 13, as well as goods already in transit or at local ports.

This decision follows confirmation from US authorities on December 17 of several bird flu outbreaks in South Dakota, as identified by the National Veterinary Services Laboratories in Ames, Iowa. The Philippines had previously imposed a similar ban in November 2023, which was lifted in August 2024, highlighting the DA’s vigilance in protecting the local poultry sector from recurring threats.