Saturday, March 03, 2007 NMIS 7 assures supply of poultry products sufficient despite ban
EVEN though the Philippines remains to be free from the avian influenza or bird flu, the government continues to be vigilant in taking precautions against the entry of the virus in the country’s poultry farms.
Bird flu is a viral disease that affects avian species like turkey, chicken and even migratory birds.
In the first quarter of this year, the National Meat Inspection Services (NMIS) of the Department of Agriculture (DA) banned the importation of live poultry and poultry products — including dressed chicken, eggs and processed chicken meat, among other products — from Japan and the United Kingdom following reports that certain poultry farms in the two countries have been infected.
NMIS lifted the ban of imported live poultry and poultry products from Japan in September 2006, and the United Kingdom (UK) in August of the same year. But it imposed the prohibition again on Japan poultry products on Jan. 16 and those from UK last Feb. 5.
These measures bring to 45 the number of countries whose poultry products are banned from entering the Philippines. Many of the banned imports are from European countries as well as those from India, Egypt, Korea, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam and Hong Kong.
“Only the Philippines, Singapore and Brunei are not affected with the bird flu,” said NMIS 7 Director Romeo Capa.
Entry
Starting last year, though, NMIS allowed the entry of poultry products from the Netherlands, Denmark, Malaysia, France, Germany, British Columbia and South Africa.
Only the poultry products from the Netherlands, US, France, Germany and India are among those that have penetrated Central Visayas, said Dr. Alvin Leal, NMIS 7 chief of meat import and export.
In an interview with Sun.Star Cebu, Capa said that while the region has prevented the entry of live poultry and poultry products in many parts of the world, CV’s poultry importation continues to increase.
NMIS 7 records show that poultry products imported in 2006 totaled 496.02 metric tons, a 10.20 percent or 450.1 metric tons increase from 2005.
“Even with the ban, our supply of chicken is more than enough,” Capa said.
According to NMIS 7, a total of 14.23 million chickens were slaughtered in the region last year resulting in the production of 15.05 million kilograms of chicken meat.
FMD
The number of chickens slaughtered in 2006 was 17.06 percent higher compared to the previous year, which recorded 12.16 million heads.
NMIS 7 also revealed that it has not yet lifted the ban on the importation of meat and meat products from Argentina, Turkey, Egypt, Brazil — particularly in the states of Parana and Malo Grosso Do Sul — as well as those from Mongolia, Myanmar, Peoples Republic of China and Hong Kong, which have been affected by the foot-and-mouth (FMD) disease.
Leal said only Australia, Brazil, United States and some parts of Europe have been declared FMD-free countries.
Because the Visayas and Mindanao have not been contaminated with FMD, Capa said the DA is looking at possibilities of exporting meat and meat products from the areas to the foreign market.
Leal said that while Visayas and Mindanao have not gone “full-blast” in the export of meat and meat produce, some meat processing plants have started submitting sample sizes to Saudi Arabia and Guam.
He said meat industry players still need to improve on the packaging of their products to make these competitive in the global market. (MMM)
