April 4, 2013

Thailand poultry exports expected to increase 10% in 2013

Poultry exports are expected to increase by 10% this year, despite a general slowdown in the value of total Thai exports in February.

"We started seeing signs of a slowdown in export value after the weak showing in February," said Commerce Minister Boonsong Teriyapirom. Thai exports fell by 5.8% to US$17.9 billion in February, but in baht terms they plunged 11.3% to 530 billion baht.

In February, agro-industrial exports fell by 13.5% to $3.02 billion, weighed down by a 20.2% dive in rice shipments. Frozen and processed shrimp saw decline of 22.2% and frozen poultry by 6.5%.

Anan Sirimongkolkasem, president of the Thai Broiler Processing Exporters Association, said reports of four cases of a deadly new strain of bird flu in China would do little to help boost Thai broiler exports. The infections led Vietnam to announce a ban on poultry imports from China, while Hong Kong has tightened surveillance of flu cases.

However, Sirimongkolkasem said Thailand's poultry shipments are expected to remain on course for 600,000-620,000 tonnes this year, up 10% from 2012, with export value of THB65-70 billion against THB60 billion last year.