Philippines orders temporary ban on imports of domestic and wild fowl as bird flu continues to kill millions of birds in South Dakota and across the country
PIERRE, S.D. – South Dakota-raised poultry isn’t welcome in the Philippines.
The Southeast Asia nation has imposed a temporary import ban on birds and poultry products from the Rushmore state following an outbreak of bird flu.
The Department of Agriculture for the country issued the order this week, releasing a memorandum on Jan. 22 announcing the suspension of imports for domestic and wild birds, including poultry meat, day-old chicks, eggs and semen for artificial insemination from South Dakota.
The ban comes after multiple cases of the avian influenza virus were confirmed in at least two South Dakota poultry farms in the last several months.
Bird flu, or avian influenza, spreads primarily through direct contact with infected birds, their saliva, nasal secretions, and feces. It can also be transmitted through airborne droplets when infected birds cough, sneeze, or move, as well as by contaminated surfaces, equipment, or vehicles, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
Wild birds, particularly waterfowl, are natural carriers of the virus and can spread it over long distances during migration, posing a significant risk to poultry populations, according to the agency.
The same day The Philippines’ blockade of South Dakota birds was issued, Lainie Kringen-Scholtz, a veterinarian and owner of True North Veterinary Health in Wentworth, wrote in a Tristate Neighbor op-Ed that multiple cats in the Madison area have died due to avian flu in recent weeks.
While the Philippines are not a market where South Dakota’s poultry producers have export contracts, the import ban issued by the U.S. ally is on the radar of both the South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources and South Dakota Trade, a state-backed nonprofit that negotiates trade agreements in foreign markets in the interest of South Dakota businesses.
“DANR is disappointed by the recently announced Philippines import ban on South Dakota poultry products and is working with South Dakota Trade, the South Dakota Animal Industry Board, and USDA to quickly address the issue,” DANR spokesman Brian Walsh told The Dakota Scout. “South Dakota producers work hard to produce the best and safest poultry products on the market and, although most of the poultry products produced in South Dakota are consumed domestically, it is critical we maintain open market access for our producers.”
Walsh noted when some South Dakota poultry producers experienced spread of the virus in December, DANR worked with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Veterinary Services and affected producers to “effectively manage outbreaks to minimize impacts to producers and protect public health.”
The Philippines are the only country to have ordered any import ban on South Dakota-raised poultry at this time.
