January 7, 2005

EU Set To Lift Ban On Thai Poultry Following Safety Review

The Thai Livestock Department is confident that it is ready for inspection by an EU team on the safety of Thai chicken meat in mid-February, said the Director-General of the Livestock Department.

Mr. Yukol Limlamthong said the department is collecting data on quality control system for chicken meat export from the farming to processing, and disease control including the latest situation report on the bird flu.

The European Union (EU) is Thailand's top destination for chicken meat export, but Thai export has suffered huge blow since the outbreak of bird flu.

The EU is reviewing its ban on Thai chicken imports pending rigorous safety inspection. A team of inspectors is due to arrive here in mid-February to investigate the situation, before presenting their findings to the European Commission for decision making.

It is not until the European Commission ruling is known when Thailand can assess its chicken export outlook for 2005, said Mr. Yukol.