Manila, May 12 -- The Department of Agriculture (DA) on Tuesday announced the temporary import ban of live animals and animal products from Greece following confirmed cases of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in the European country.

The DA issued Department Circular No. 20 after Greece reported FMD cases in domestic sheep in Lesvos on April 6.

In a statement, DA Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said he issued the order to safeguard the country's livestock sector, in line with the directive of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for the agency to stay vigilant in preventing the entry and spread of transboundary animal diseases.

The circular suspended the issuance of sanitary and phytosanitary import clearances for affected commodities and dir...