January 29, 2004

India Bans Chicken From Bird Flu Hit Countries

India has banned imports of poultry from countries affected by bird flu, according to a federal government notification issued late Wednesday.

While the notification only named six countries in the ban - South Korea, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Pakistan and Japan - it added that any nation that reports avian flu will face a similar ban.

The ban will be in place for six months, it said.

The ban isn't likely to affect the availability of chicken or eggs though as India produces enough poultry to meet domestic needs. The country, however, imports some poultry products from Vietnam, Singapore and Japan, and day-old chicks from the Netherlands, Germany, the U.S. and the U.K.

The poultry ban includes domestic and wild birds, day-old birds, turkey and newly hatched avian species, semen of domestic and wild birds, fresh meat from domestic and wild birds, and products of animal origin intended for use in animal feeding and for agricultural and industrial use.