Ban on imported chicken from Brazil 'stays' as gov't awaits update: DA

MANILA - The ban on chicken imports from Brazil remains, the Department of Agriculture said Tuesday, as the agency awaits for the report from its counterpart.

The DA earlier banned the imports of Brazilian poultry products after China reported that some products from the South American country contained traces of COVID-19.

"The temporary ban on chicken imports from Brazil stays, as the Department of Agriculture through the Bureau of Animal Industry (DA-BAI) is awaiting reply from that country's Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply (MAPA), particularly on needed documents related to COVID-19 prevention and control procedures among Brazilian factory workers in chicken processing facilities," the statement said. 

• Suplay ng de lata posibleng maapektuhan ng Brazil chicken import ban: grupo
• DTI backs lifting import ban on meat products from Brazil

In a letter to Brazil, Philippine Agriculture offiicials said that the country was committed to resolve the issue, adding that the move was just a "precautionary measure."

The DA said, its Brazilian counterpart was required to submit the following:

•  List of foreign meat establishments (FMEs) exporting to the Philippines, which reported COVID-19 cases, since March 2020; 
•  Copies of MAPA-issued national guidelines on the control and prevention of COVID-19 cases in meat establishments (including protocol for resumption of operations);
•  MAPA procedures or protocols in monitoring COVID-19 cases in meat facilities;
•  Certified copies of food safety manuals (particularly on their protocol for COVID-19) of BRF (JBS), Seara and Aurora FMEs, that are reported banned by China; 
•  Current rate of COVID testing on meat establishment workers; and 
•  Revised guidelines for the production, packaging and storage of poultry mechanically deboned meat (MDM).

Brazil has 3.2 million COVID-19 cases and over 105,000 deaths, the DA said. It accounts for nearly 20 percent of the country's poultry meat imports, it added.