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Agriculture dept. lifts ban on shipping poultry products from Luzon to other parts of the country
The Department of Agriculture lifted on Monday a ban on shipment of
poultry products from Luzon to other parts of the country after a bird
flu outbreak in Pampanga and Nueva Ecija.
Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Pinol said they have lifted the ban
shipping poultry products based on the bio-security consideration and
recommendation of bio-security experts.
He said they have to consider the situation of the local farms and
farmers affected by the outbreak.
“I think this was the more emotional consideration was the fact that
we also have to listen to the pleadings of the farmers because if we
think it is safe then let them ship their products because they are
very down in their farms”, Pinol said.
The Department of Agriculture temporarily banned movements of poultry
products from Luzon to Visayas and Mindanao on August 15 to prevent
the spread of avian influenza which affected three towns in Pampanga.
Pinol said they are confident the bird flu in San Luis Pampanga, San
Isidro and Jaen Nueva Ecija are contained.
Pinol said they will monitor if there would be additional case of flu
in Jaen and San Isidro Nueva Ecija for two weeks before they can
“safely” say that the problem is contained.
“All we need to do now is just wait out for about another 11 days
because our reckoning date in Jaen and San Isidro is about 10 days ago
if there will be no other incident we can safely say that we have
contained the problem”, he said.
Roy Abaya, Central Luzon regional director of the department of
agriculture, said 289, 136 birds were culled within the 7km control
area.
Pinol said chicken eggs can be shipped but ducks eggs must be cooked
before it is shipped. Chicks, chicken meat and other poultry products
must come from accredited farms inspected by the quarantine officers
and certified to be free from flu before it can be allowed for
shipping.
The Department of Agriculture will appeal to the Singapore, Japan and
South Korea to lift the export ban on poultry products from the
Philippines, he said.
Pinol said they already gave the P20 million assistance for farmers in
San Luis, Pampanga and P31 million to DA-Central Luzon Region and they
are waiting for complete documentation before releasing the money.
“It’s not a question of whether there is money. There is money, we are
only waiting for the documentation”, he said.
Pinol said he will recommend to President Rodrigo Duterte to buy
dressed chickens from local farmers to fill in the food supply needed
in the war torn city of Marawi. “I’ll find a way. I’ll talk to the
president”, he said.
Pinol said he will also talk to the Department of Social Welfare and
Development to buy chickens for in Marawi.
“Let’s talk to the DSWD (Department of Social Welfare and
Development). There is a need of many supplies in Marawi”, he said.
Peter So, director for Philippine Poultry Integrated Alliance, said
the price of chicken in Luzon has dropped into P18 for each kilo and
P10 each kilo for small chicken from P80 for each kilo.
He said the price of chicken in Visayas is P60 to P70 and gradually decreasing.
Pinol said the chicken that will be bought from the farmers can be
stored in a storage facility in Davao while gradually transferring to
Marawi. Alanna Ambi/DMS
