July 13, 2006

Thailand invites EU inspections to avoid poultry ban extension

The extended ban on fresh poultry exports to the European Union (EU) is expected to hurt Thailand's fresh chicken export prospects this year, Thailand's Livestock Development Department Director-General Yukol Limlamthong said Wednesday (Jul 13).

Yukol said the ban was extended as there were outbreaks of bird flu still in several ASEAN countries, even as the Thai government is insisting that bird flu in the country is under control.

However, the move did not mean the EU lacked trust in the country's systems of bird flu control, he said. 

The livestock development department had notified the EU that Thailand had sufficient measures to control the virus and that no bird flu outbreak has been reported there for over 200 days, longer than the 90 days standard set by the World Organisation of Animal Health (OIE).

In reply, the EU said it would send experts to Thailand for inspections.

Yukol said the delay in lifting the ban is expected to affect Thai fresh chicken exports, which this year were targeted at 50,000 tonnes valued at Bt4.5 billion (about US$118.8 billion).

However, he said exports of Thai cooked chicken are still expected to reach the target of 350,000 tonnes, despite only 130,000 tonnes shipped in the first half of the year.

As part of efforts to control the disease, the livestock development department and 21 poultry companies on Thursday would sign an agreement to develop a zoning and compartment system for raising domestic poultry, the director-general said.

The department plans to endorse a "compartment system" for poultry farms using the scheme later this year. If the Thai measures are approved by EU and Japanese experts, Thailand would likely be able to resume its exports of fresh chicken within 2007, he said.