October 1, 2012

 

China pressures Thailand to allow chicken imports

 

 

China is pressuring Thailand to allow cooked and processed chicken imports from the former.

 

"China has been trying to compel Thailand to open its doors for processed chicken for several years now," said Anan Sirimongkolkasem, president of the Thai Broiler Processing Exporters Association.

 

"Our losses would be exorbitant should the government agree to China's requests," he said.

 

Industry sources said poultry imports first appeared on the agenda during the Thaksin Shinawatra government, when Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan was the agriculture minister and Banphot Hongthong, the agriculture permanent secretary.

 

The government at the time promised to discuss opening the Thai broiler market to China.

 

China itself has also tried over the years to include poultry imports in the free trade agreement between the two countries.

 

Most recently, the issue of chicken imports from China came up again, with the Asian giant resuming an aggressive approach to compel the Thai government, led by Thaksin's youngest sister, Prime Minister Yingluck, to open the poultry market.

 

Mr Anan said China's broiler production will total 13.8 million tonnes this year, of which 440,000 tonnes are exports.

 

Of the exported poultry, China ships an average of 200,000 tonnes of cooked drumsticks to Japan compared with only 10,000 tonnes of cooked chicken breast to the EU.

 

As chicken breast is not popular among Chinese consumers, Beijing is trying to find markets for its chicken meat surplus.

 

The EU has yet to lift its ban on fresh poultry from China, as the country's meat is still considered unsafe due to a recent bird flu epidemic and the continued use of vaccination in poultry farming.

 

Thailand's annual poultry production totals 1.92 million tonnes, with 520,000 tonnes exported.

 

Mr Anan said Thailand will not gain any reciprocal benefits from opening its doors to imports of cooked chicken from China.