RP lifts import ban on German poultry

The Agriculture department has lifted its ban on poultry imports from Germany, which has eradicated cases of low pathogenic avian influenza. In a memo dated March 25, the agency cited Germany’s report to the World Health Organization for Animal Health declaring that the bird flu was done away with as early as January 5. "Based on the evaluation of the Bureau of Animal Industry, the risk of contamination from importing poultry and poultry products from Germany is negligible," the Agriculture department said. As a result, Germany may now export poultry meat, day-old chicks and eggs to the Philippines. The Philippines temporarily banned the entry of poultry products from Germany last November following a case of the nonlethal low-pathogenic bird flu in Leipzig Zoo. The Philippines, Singapore and Brunei remain the only bird flu-free virus countries in Southeast Asia since the virus resurfaced in 2003. Data from the Bureau of Agriculture Statistics showed that the country imported 52,519 kilos of poultry products worth $28,085 from Germany last year. The country imported 548 million kilos of poultry and livestock products last year. — BusinessWorld