September 15, 2004

Singapore Won't Resume Malaysian Poultry Imports If Bird Flu Spreads
 

Singapore has not made the decision to lift the current ban on poultry and eggs from Malaysia.

The nation has also warned that if there is a bird flu outbreak outside Kelantan, the Republic may not agree to resume imports from the two southern states of Johor and Malacca.

An AVA inspection team is back from across the Causeway. But the two sides are still discussing ways to tighten bio-safety measures to establish Johor and Malacca as bird flu-free areas.

Other issues still being discussed include the gazetting and enforcement of legislation to control the movement of poultry into the two southern states.

Another team from Singapore is now inspecting all AVA-accredited poultry farms in Johor and Malacca to see if they meet Singapore's stringent bio-safety criteria.

But the AVA added that lifting Singapore's ban is dependent on there being no bird flu outside Kelantan.