February 12, 2004

Malaysia's DBE To Seize Poultry Exports Opportunity

Malaysia's integrated poultry producer, DBE Gurney Resources Bhd, will be looking to make full advantage of the Asian bird flu crisis.

DBE's group managing director Alex Ding Seng Huat said that despite sales demand dropping by 4 per cent to 5 per cent as a result of consumers' anxiety over the spread of bird flu, the alarming situation may work to DBE's advantage to fill export demand as more countries have banned poultry imports from affected countries.

"There are no enquiries yet but this is good chance for us to start exporting," said Ding.

Currently, its principal market is for domestic. It has 20 per cent share in Perak and up to 3 per cent of poultry produced in the country.

In his speech, Ding said DBE has continuously taken preventive measures set out by the Government for poultry breeding such as adhering to tight bio-security measures.

"Secondly, as an integrated poultry producer, we have full control over the output of healthy chickens as we produce our own chicken feed and breed our own chickens," he said.

He added that regular checks by its in-house veterinarian have ensured that the chickens are healthy and free of diseases. On Tuesday, DBE was given the verification from the Veterinarian Services Department of Manjung in Perak that its chickens are free from the bird flu virus.