November 21, 2007

Thailand hopes to resume frozen chicken exports

The Thai Livestock Development Department has expressed confidence that Thailand will resume its export of frozen chicken after the country has been declared free of bird flu for 250 days.

Acting Director-General of the Livestock Development Department, Sakchai Sriboonsue, says there is a high possibility that the country will resume its export of frozen chicken to major trading partners like Japan again. Japan has banned Thai frozen chicken since 2004.

The acting director-general also suggests farmers across the country to apply the compartment system to their chicken farms in order to boost confidence of foreign countries buying chicken from Thailand.

Sakchai says the department will work more proactively in line with the measures approved by the Cabinet. The measures, including the spraying of disinfectant nationwide and education on the prevention of avian influenza, are expected to be carried out from 2008 to 2010.

No bird flu pandemic has been found in Thailand for more than 250 days. The last bird flu spread was detected at an egg farm in Mukdahan province on March 15, 2007.