THE Department of Agriculture (DA) said it lifted the ban on imports of wild and domestic birds from Argentina, Romania, and Turkey.
The removal of the import prohibition follows the containment of highly pathogenic avian influenza in those countries, the DA said.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel, Jr. issued separate memorandum orders authorizing the resumption of imports, citing the absence of new outbreaks and official clearance from the World Organization for Animal Health.
The decision to lift the import bans was based on risk assessments conducted by the DA’s Bureau of Animal Industry.
Mr. Laurel said the risk of contamination from importing poultry meat, live birds, day-old chicks, and poultry semen is now considered “negligible.”