Philippines bans poultry imports from Belgium and France to contain the spread of bird flu

Philippines bans poultry imports from Belgium and France to contain spread of bird flu. In 2023, the Philippines imported 426,620 metric tons of poultry meat, 3.78% more than the previous year, with Belgium accounting for 0.59% and France 0.01%. The Philippines' agriculture department announced on Tuesday that it has imposed an indefinite ban on imports of poultry and related products, including wild birds, from Belgium and France due to an outbreak of bird flu in those countries. “We are doing this to protect the health of our local bird population, as well as poultry workers and consumers, as H5N1 is a virus that can be transmitted to humans by infected animals,” said Secretary of Agriculture, Francisco Tiu Laurel, in a statement. Avian flu, carried by migratory wild birds and capable of being transmitted between farms, has devastated livestock around the world in recent years, damaging supplies, raising food prices and raising concerns about the risk of transmission to humans. ...