Integrators ask DA to include hatching eggs, live poultry in import ban

Local poultry integrators have asked the Department of Agriculture (DA) to widen the coverage of the ban on imported chicken to include hatching eggs, live poultry, hogs and their products to ensure the avian influenza or bird flu raging across Asia does not set foot in the Philippines.

The Philippine Association of Broiler Integrators (PABI) which include the likes of San Miguel Foods Inc., Swift Foods Inc, Vitarich, Universal Robina Corp. and Tyson Agro-Ventures has appealed to Agriculture Secretary Luis Lorenzo Jr. to implement additional precautionary measures to prevent bird flu from infecting and devastating the local poultry industry.

"In the light of confirmed disease outbreaks in the poultry operations of other Southeast Asian Countries surrounding the Philippines such as avian influenza in South Korea, Vietnam and Japan, Newcastle disease in Indonesia and fowl cholera in Thailand, the government should put in place other measures to ensure that the local poultry industry is spared of the virus," said Rita Imelda Palabyab, PABI president.

Previously, PABI recommended to the DA an Asia-wide ban on the importation of chicken since South Korea, Vietnam and Thailand confirmed outbreaks in their countries.

PABI urged the DA to also require the local poultry and entire livestock industry to install footwear decontamination stations in international airports particularly for arrivals from these countries and the urgent screening of the poultry population through a blood testing procedure to detect the indication of the presence of the avian flu.

PABI also proposed the immediate exploration of the capabilities of local laboratories to isolate and identify the said virus.

Another proposal is the immediate drafting and approval of government directives on course of actions to be taken in an event of a poultry disease outbreak.

At the same time, a clean-up, upgrading and tight monitoring of wet market slaughter activities should be conducted since risks to human population are greater when chicken, swine and other livestock mix regularly with people in close confinement and filthy environment.

Aside from the bird flu, Palabyab said that Thailand’s poultry population is suffering from an outbreak of bird cholera and bronchitis.

In Indonesia, the country’s poultry farms have been hit by Newcastle disease.

Newcastle disease, while just as deadly to poultry flock like the bird flu, is not fatal to humans. The United States Department of Agriculture described Newcastle disease as a contagious and fatal viral disease affecting all species of birds.