The Department of Agriculture (DA) has imposed a temporary ban on poultry imports from Türkiye following an outbreak of the H5N1 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in the European country.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. announced the measure in a news release on Friday, stating that the ban covers domestic and wild birds, as well as poultry products such as meat, day-old chicks, eggs, and semen used for artificial insemination.

“The import ban is a pre-emptive measure to safeguard the poultry industry, a vital sector of the economy that generates jobs and investments and plays an essential role in the government’s push for food security,” he said.

Türkiye’s veterinary authorities said the bird flu outbreak was reported to the World Organization for Animal Health on 5 March, affecting domestic birds in Sarayduzu, Merkez.

The outbreak was officially reported by Türkiye’s veterinary authorities to the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) on 5 March, affecting domestic birds in Sarayduzu, Merkez.

To further tighten biosecurity measures, Laurel signed a memorandum order on Wednesday halting the issuance and processing of sanitary and phytosanitary import clearances for poultry products from Türkiye. The order also prohibits the entry of poultry products slaughtered or manufactured before 1 January this year.