March 3, 2004

 

 

Japan To Approve More Thai Cooked Chicken Imports

 

Japan is set to resume imports of Thai cooked chicken from the remaining 21 Thai factories it has completed inspections, according to Deputy Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Newin Chidchob.

 

Newin said that four teams of Japanese experts completed their inspection of all 25 Thai chicken plants today, and would send reports to their government in Tokyo tomorrow for further approval.

 

"It's likely that Japan will resume its imports of cooked Thai chicken products from the remaining 21 plants within this week", he told TNA today.

 

"I've asked the Japanese experts, and they expressed satisfaction with hygienic and quality standards of all the 25 inspected plants. They said they had never imagined that the Thai chicken plants have developed to this far, and have such the high-level hygienic and quality standards", he noted.

 

Yesterday, the Japanese Agriculture Ministry announced that Tokyo had resumed its imports of cooked chicken products from four Thai factories whose hygienic and quality standards had met those required by the Japanese government.

 

The Japanese Agriculture Ministry said, however, that Tokyo's ban on imports of frozen Thai chicken products will remain in place for a certain period of time.

 

Feared by the outbreak of bird flu in the region, Tokyo has banned imports of poultry products from many countries, including Thailand, since January, but has pledged that it will allow Thai chicken plants resume their shipments of cooked chicken products to the Japanese market once any of them have hygienic and quality standards met those required by Japanese government.

 

Japan has sent the four team of experts to inspect the 25 Thai chicken plants since 26 February.

 

Newin conceded, however, that the reported third bird flu outbreak in Kyoto prefecture recently could affect or delay Tokyo's decision on re-opening its market for Thai chicken products from the remaining inspected plants.

 

Newin said that the Thai government would ask Tokyo to send new teams of experts to inspect other 10 chicken plants which also have potential to resume their shipments of cooked chicken products to Japan.

 

"If the new inspection at the 10 proposed plants is conducted with eventual approvals on their hygienic and quality standard by the Japanese government, this will lead to Japan's resumption of cooked chicken products from all 35 Thai plants which have export potential", he noted.

 

Last year, Japan imported 70,000 tonnes of cooked chickens and 170,000 tonnes of frozen chickens from Thailand, making Tokyo become the largest export market for Thai chicken products.