Korea accepts chicken meat, pet bird exports from Philippines

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines can now export chicken meat and pet birds to Korea after the latter lifted its ban on these products.

In a memorandum to Agriculture Secretary William Dar, Agriculture Attache in Korea Maria Alilia Maghirang reported that the country obtained the final approval of the Korean government to lift the temporary prohibition of chicken meat and pet birds imports from the Philippines.

“We are pleased to inform the good Secretary that the Philippines can already export live birds (other than poultry) to South Korea,” Maghirang said.

In March last year, Korea through its Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MAFRA) prohibited the imports of Philippine chicken meat and pet birds under “Import Sanitary Condition of Philippine chicken “and “Import Sanitary Condition of birds except poultry” notifications, in line with H5 avian influenza outbreak in the Philippines last year.

“The PAO (Philippine Agriculture Office) Seoul closely coordinated with the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) and the Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency (APQA) for the swift correspondence and timely submission of requirements to lift the temporary suspension,”Maghirang said.

To facilitate the exports of Philippine chicken and pet birds to Korea, Maghirang said PAO Seoul earlier coordinated with BAI and the National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS) for compliance to the requirements of the APQA.

Among these include the revision of veterinary health certificates for chicken meat and pet birds.

Maghirang said APQA’s suggested revisions on the VHC for chicken meat and pet birds were transmitted to the BAI.

Based on Korea’s import health requirement for chicken meat exported from the Philippines, chicken meat refers to chilled or frozen meat, bone, fat, skin and tendon that are derived from chicken.