The Department of Agriculture (DA) has lifted the temporary ban on the importation of domestic and wild birds, as well as poultry products from the state of Minnesota, following the containment of avian flu outbreaks, officials said Tuesday.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. signed Memorandum Order No. 22, which authorizes the resumption of imports of live poultry, poultry meat, day-old chicks, eggs, and semen from Minnesota.
The decision came after US veterinary authorities reported to the World Organisation for Animal Health that the cases of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in the affected areas of Minnesota had been resolved. No new outbreaks have been recorded since 28 February, according to official reports.
The DA initially imposed the import ban as a precautionary measure to protect the country’s poultry industry from the spread of HPAI.
The US last year exported 169,226 metric tons of poultry products—excluding eggs—worth $194.1 million, up from $180.5 million in 2023.