Philippines to lift poultry bans on Israel, South Dakota

PHILIPPINES – The Philippine Department of Agriculture has lifted restrictions on poultry imports from Israel and South Dakota in the United States after both areas declared themselves free of bird flu outbreaks.

The decision ends a ban on the entry of domestic and wild birds, poultry meat, day-old chicks, hatching eggs, and semen used for artificial insemination from the two regions.

According to separate directives signed by Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr, authorities in Israel and South Dakota informed the World Organisation for Animal Health that they had not detected new cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza since mid-July.

Tiu Laurel said the move was grounded on scientific reporting and compliance with international standards aimed at maintaining biosecurity while ensuring a stable flow of poultry supply.

The department explained that import bans are preventive actions designed to shield the country’s poultry and livestock industries, which remain key to food availability, job creation, and investment in rural communities.

At the same time, the agency reaffirmed that it will continue applying strict biosecurity measures while working to keep poultry products safe and accessible for consumers.

However, the Philippines has taken the opposite approach with Argentina after officials there confirmed a new outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza.

In a memorandum, the Department of Agriculture announced a suspension of poultry imports from Argentina, including meat, eggs, day-old chicks, and breeding semen.

The order came after Argentina’s report to the World Organisation for Animal Health of an H5N1 case identified in Buenos Aires province on August 17.

Secretary Tiu Laurel said the ban was issued due to the risks the H5N1 strain poses not only to poultry flocks but also to public health.

He added that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr had directed the department to balance food security concerns with public safety while the ban is in place.

The Bureau of Animal Industry was instructed to halt the processing of applications and stop issuing sanitary and phytosanitary permits for poultry shipments originating from Argentina.

Avian influenza continues to affect the Philippine poultry sector, where previous outbreaks triggered mass culling that wiped out thousands of birds and led to losses valued in the millions of US dollars.

Government records show that as of September 10, bird flu remains present in eight provinces across four regions, even though Camarines Sur has recently been cleared of infections.

Trade data from Trading Economics indicates that Philippine imports from Argentina across all product categories amounted to US$417 million in 2024, with poultry contributing only a minimal share.

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