Two poultry farms from the Philippines have been approved by the South Korean government to export chicken to the East Asian country.
In formal communication, Maria Alilia Maghirang, the country’s Agriculture Attache in Seoul, informed Agriculture Secretary William Dar of the final approval of the South Korean government to accredit and register two poultry establishments in the Philippines for exports of chicken meat to Korea.
These poultry establishments are Carino and Sons Agri-Development, Inc. (CASADD) located in Barangay Aya, San Jose, Batangas, and LP Farms Food Corporation located in Barangay Rabon, Rosario, La Union. Since November of this year, CASADI and LP Farms are already allowed to commence their exports of chicken meat products to Korea.
Poultry products allowed to enter South Korea from the Philippines are chilled or frozen meat, bone, fat, skin, and tendon that are derived from the chicken.
Maghirang told Dar that this development is the result of the remote onsite inspection and document review of the Ministry of Agriculture Food and Rural Affairs - Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency (MAFRA-APQA).
“Subsequent to the Korean Government's official announcement of lifting their temporary import suspension of chicken meat and pet birds from the Philippines in August, the Philippine Agriculture Office in Seoul had closely coordinated with the DA’s Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) and National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS) for the conduct of the onsite inspection of CASADI and LDP Farms, and the submission of complete questionnaires for review of the MAFRA-APQA,” Maghirang further said.
To ensure food safety, MAFRA-APQA is also encouraging the Philippines to observe strict compliance to the South Korean regulations for imported food, particularly chicken meat.
As such, the Philippine government is ready to facilitate accreditation of other Philippine Overseas Livestock Establishments (i.e., Johannas, Bounty Fresh, among others) once they send their intention to be inspected and submit complete NMIS-verified documentary inspection requirements for the renewal of their accreditation to export chicken meat to Korea, Maghirang said.
It was just in August when South Korea lifted the import ban on Philippine chicken meat.
To recall, the Republic of Korea prohibited the imports of Philippine chicken meat and pet birds in March 2020 amid the outbreak of H5 avian influenza (HPAI) in the Philippines.
It was just in January of this year when the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) has declared the Philippines free from HPAI.
The OIE declaration came less than a year since bird flu was again detected in the Philippines, particularly in a commercial layer poultry farm in Pampanga and a backyard poultry farm in a village in Rizal.