THE Department of Agriculture had issued a temporary ban in the importation of live cattle, buffaloes, and their products and by-products which are coming from Libya.
 

Three other countries were listed as well.

In a statement, the DA said that this is in order to prevent any local spread of the lumpy skin disease (LSD) among the country's local cattle population.

An LSD is a viral infection that can be fatal for cattle.

According to Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. under Memorandum Order No. 06 series of 2024 on Feb. 1 the temporary ban of imports include Libya, Russia, South Korea and Thailand.

Laurel said that the immediate suspension in accordance with the recommendations of the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) Terrestrial Animal Health Code Article 11.9, the DA said.

"Safe commodities (skeletal muscle meat, gelatine and collagen, tallow, hooves and horns) are still allowed to be imported from the said country as long as the country is accredited to import following the import terms and conditions of the Philippines," the DA said.

"LSD is a cattle disease caused by a virus that is transmitted by blood-sucking insects such as mosquitoes and ticks, and causes fever, nodules on the skin and may even cause death, particularly those that have had no previous exposure. The virus can cause significant production losses but can be controlled either by culling or by vaccination," it added.