DA bans entry of cattle from Taiwan, Lebanon

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Agriculture (DA) has banned the importation of cattle and other animals from Taiwan and Lebanon following the outbreaks of the food and mouth disease (FMD) in those countries. Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap issued the ban after the Office International des Epizooties (OIE) or World Animal Health Organization confirmed the outbreaks. In Lebanon, FMD was detected in a dairy cattle farm in the province of Kamed El-Iouz, and in Taiwan, the disease affected swine farms in the Maoliao township, Yun-Lin and Beidou town in Chang-hua. The ban also suspends the processing, evaluation of the application and issuance of Veterinary Quarantine Clearance (VQC) to import these animals from Lebanon and Taiwan. DA veterinary quarantine officers and inspectors were also ordered to confiscate animals and their by products from the two countries. FMD is a highly contagious viral disease that strikes cloven-hoofed animals. Earlier, DA also imposed a ban on imports of cattle and other FMD-susceptible animals from China after OIE confirmed outbreaks in Hubei and Xinjiang. Government wants the OIE to certify Luzon as FMD-free to pave the way for the global declaration of the Philippines as an FMD-free country. “A global declaration of the country’s FMD-free status will help Filipino hog producers penetrate the export market and make the Philippines a viable site for halal food production," Yap had noted. Luzon is the only remaining area in the country that has not yet been declared by the OIE as FMD-free, according to Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) officials. BAI director Davinio Catbagan said the OIE had already declared as FMD-free the entire Mindanao in May 2001, as well as Masbate, Palawan, and the entire Visayas in the same month the following year. The DA aims to secure OIE certification for most of Luzon as FMD-free "without vaccination," while the regions of Central Luzon and the Cavite-Laguna-Batangas-Rizal-Quezon or Calabarzon area as FMD-free areas with vaccination. Catbagan pointed out that the Philippines has not had an FMD outbreak in more than three years. The last case of FMD was reported in Lucban, Quezon on December 28, 2005. - GMANews.TV