November 27, 2007

Bhutan lifts ban on Indian poultry

Imports of poultry products from India are to resume within a week as Bhutan has lifted its ban on Indian poultry.

Previously, the Bhutan Agriculture and Food Regulatory Authority (BAFRA) banned the import of poultry and poultry products from India on July 27 after a bird flu outbreak in a village near Imphal in Manipur.

Following the ban, the prices of pork, beef and fish also rose in Bhutan.

Karma Tenzin, Chief Veterinary Officer, said Bhutanese importers of poultry products now fulfill all the terms and conditions set by the department.

The revised terms and conditions specified that imported poultry meat should exclude head, feet, visceral organs and must be packed in plastic, labelled with processing date, expiry date and net weight.

The name of the farm, location, contact number, production date, and farm logo should be stamped on all egg cartons.

BAFRA record indicates Bhutan imported 99.8 million tonnes of processed chicken and 29,971 cartons of eggs from India last year.