DA lifts bird import ban on New Zealand

The Department of Agriculture (DA) on Monday announced the lifting on the temporary ban on the importation of domesticated and wild birds, including poultry products, from New Zealand following the resolution of the recent avian influenza in the country.

In an advisory, the DA said Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. signed Memorandum Order 62, which authorizes the resumption of imports from New Zealand after the ban implemented in January due to reports of an outbreak.

The resumption of imports includes poultry meat, day-old chicks, table eggs, and poultry semen used for artificial insemination, after the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) confirmed that all cases in New Zealand had been resolved and no new outbreaks recorded.

“Import transactions for the specified commodities, slaughtered or produced after the issuance of this order may resume in accordance with existing DA rules and regulations,” Tiu Laurel said.

The DA last week announced the resumption of imports of live birds from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia (Kelantan and Sabah), Saudi Arabia, Slovenia, and Sweden, which were also previously cleared of avian influenza. — Jon Viktor D. Cabuenas/RSJ, GMA Integrated News