The Department of Agriculture (DA) today issued a temporary ban on the movement of live domestic and wild birds and their products, including poultry meat, day-old chick, eggs, semen and manure from Luzon to the Visayas and Mindanao in a bid to contain further spread of avian influenza from a town in Pampanga province.
Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol said that the government is exerting all efforts to contain the spread of the avian flu from the town of San Luis, Pampanga, which was placed under an immediate quarantine issued by the DA last Thursday/August 10 when the disease was confirmed.
Piñol said the ban on the shipment of poultry meat and poultry products from Luzon to the rest of the country is an aggressive step to contain the spread of the avian influenza to other parts of the country.
Appealing for understanding and support of the public, including poultry farm owners and workers, Piñol said the ban will be temporary and will be lifted as soon as experts conclude that the risk of spreading the virus has been eliminated.
The temporary ban on the shipment of chcken and oter fowls from Luzon to Visayas and Mindanao is contained in Memorandum Circular No. 09, Series of 2017, signed by Dr. Enrico P. Garzon Jr., DA Assistant Secretary for Livestock and Director of the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI).
“In view of the avian influenza outbreak in the province of Pampanga and to prevent further spread of the disease in other parts of Luzon and to Visayas and Mindanao … (n)o movement of LIVE domestic and wild birds including poultry meat, day old chick, eggs, semen and manure shall be allowed from Luzon (mainland Luzon and island provinces of Luzon) to Visayas and Mindanao,” Memorandum Circular No. 09 stated.
He noted that “(s)ince Visayas and Mindanao remain free from avian influenza, the movement of live poultry, poultry mat, day old chicks, eggs, semen manure and other products from Visayas and Mindanao to Luzon will be allowed.”
Shipment of poultry meat and poultry products from Luzon to any point in Luzon, the DA Secretary noted, will be allowed “provided this is outside of the 7-kilometer radius control area of Pampanga.”
Piñol said the Luzon to Luzon shipment of poultry meat and poultry products will be allowed under the following conditions:
1. For live domestic and wild birds, including but not limited to chickens, duck, geese, quails, doves, pigeons, shall be accompanied by a shipping permit and a veterinary health certificate issued by a government sector veterinarian that these products were sourced from farms with no incidence of avian influenza for the past 21 days prior to shipment.
2. For poultry meat, including but not limited to fresh, frozen meat, uncooked poultry products, shall be accompanied by a shipping permit and a meat inspection certificate.
Piñol said the temporary ban will be lifted when there are no new cases reported after the stamping out activity, including the disinfection of all affected areas and surveillance. ### (DA OSEC/photo credits to Dr. Arlene Vytiaco-BAI)
