May 3, 2005

Indonesia suspends poultry from Malaysia

The Indonesian government has decided to suspend all imports of poultry and poultry products from Malaysia from April 27 as the country has yet to be declared completely free from avian influenza.

Wasito, director general for the Promotion of Husbandry Products said the measures were imposed because of complaints from local poultry farmers, and also to improve recovery efforts of the poultry industry.

Poultry imports from Malaysia had been allowed into the country since March 10 because of earlier efforts taken to eradicate the disease there, but the decision to suspend Malaysian poultry comes after learning that the country is still not free of bird flu.