DA suspends food imports from 3 countries

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Agriculture (DA) has suspended the importation of agricultural commodities from three countries to safeguard the local industry from foot-and-mouth disease (FMD).

The DA temporarily barred the entry of susceptible commodities from South Korea and Hungary as well as from Turkiye because of an avian influenza outbreak early this month.

“FMD is a severe and highly contagious disease that affects livestock, causing significant economic impact. Animals susceptible to the virus include cattle, swine, goats and other cloven-hoofed ruminants,” the DA said in a statement on Friday.

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Hungary, South Korea, and Turkiye are not among the listed suppliers of imported meat to the Philippines.