February 3, 2004

Thailand Free Of Bird Flu At Month End

Thailand will be free of bird flu by the end of this month, Deputy Minister for Agriculture and Cooperatives Newin Chidchob said Tuesday.

"Everything will be all right by the end of February," Newin told reporters after the weekly cabinet meeting. When asked whether this means the country will be rid of bird-flu by the end of this month, he said "I believe so."

Thailand has culled nearly 27 million chickens and other birds nationwide in an attempt to eliminate the spread of bird flu in the country. The virus, which is ravaging 10 countries in Asia, is known to have killed three people in Thailand.

Newin said poultry culling is continuing in seven provinces, while another 33 provinces are still being monitored to prevent the spread of the virus.

Thailand produces around 1.2 billion chickens a year. It is the world's fourth largest chicken exporter, shipping around 500,000 tons of chickens worth around 50 billion baht ($1=THB39.215) in 2003.

However, the country's chicken exports this year are expected to fall sharply this year as several countries have banned Thai chicken on fears of bird flu disease.

Only the European Union, Hong Kong and Singapore are now importing cooked Thai chicken. Japan, the biggest buyer of Thai chickens, so far has maintained its import ban on all Thai poultry.

Banphot Hongthong, permanent secretary of Thailand's Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, told a radio program early Tuesday that Japan Hasn't yet said when it will allowed imports of cooked chickens from Thailand. Banphot went to Japan last week to encourage major importers to accept Thai cooked chickens.

Banphot said he believes Japan will accept cooked Thai chicken soon.