The Department of Agriculture (DA) announced on Saturday that it has lifted the ban on the importation of domestic and wild birds, including poultry products, from California and South Dakota. This decision comes after the two U.S. states reported no new outbreaks of avian influenza since early June.

The DA had imposed the temporary ban on California in January of this year and on South Dakota in November 2023 following confirmed outbreaks of the H5N1 subtype of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, which has killed millions of infected birds and poultry. Bird flu can also sometimes infect mammals, including humans.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. said he signed Memorandum Order No. 37 earlier this week, allowing the importation of wild and domestic birds, including poultry products such as meat, hatching eggs, day-old chicks, and semen for artificial insemination, from California and South Dakota. These states have not reported new bird flu outbreaks since June and May of this year, respectively.

The multi-billion-peso poultry sector is a major contributor to Philippine agriculture, accounting for around 18 percent of farm output and playing a vital role in food security. The sector saw a 2.0 percent increase in the first half of this year, driven by chicken production. Central Luzon reported the highest inventory at 33.68 million birds, followed by CALABARZON with 27.32 million, and Northern Mindanao with 25.87 million.