February 6, 2004

 

 

Malaysia Ready To Emerge As Major Poultry Exporter

 

The bird flu crisis in Asia may present Malaysia with the chance of becoming a major poultry exporting country, said Agriculture Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin. 

 

"Because of the problems in the region, there will be a shortage of chickens in the coming months, maybe even a year.  

 

"If Malaysia can prevent the disease from coming into the country, then we have the potential to export," said Muhyiddin here yesterday.  

 

The US Agriculture Department has temporarily banned the import of live birds, poultry products and eggs from Asian countries affected by bird flu.  

 

Health Minister Datuk Chua Jui Meng concurred that this was the right time for poultry farmers to increase exports, especially to Japan, which imported some 30% of its chicken consumption. 

 

"Malaysian chickens and chicken-related products are still free of the virus and countries should not have any fear of importing them," he said at his Chinese New Year open house here yesterday. 

 

Science, Technology and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Law Hieng Ding said Malaysia would consider banning the use of the KL International Airport as a transit point for exotic birds to prevent bird flu from entering the country. 

 

He said the Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) had been instructed to check on the number of such birds at the airport to ensure that they did not carry the deadly virus. 

 

Asked when the Government would stop these birds from entering the country, he said Perhilitan would have to complete its checks before a decision could be made. 

 

In Yan, Kedah, a chicken farmer who dumped over 100 dead chickens into the Sedaka River here last month was issued a warning letter by the Department of Environment yesterday morning and was also warned by the Veterinary Services Department. 

 

Ismail Shaari, 57, said he had dumped the carcasses into the river as it was the easiest way to get rid of them. 

 

Yan district veterinary officer Mohd Zaidi Mohd Tahir said Ismail's chickens did not show any clinical signs of bird flu. 

 

In Petaling Jaya, the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry's enforcement unit said it would continue to monitor egg prices. 

 

The Federation of Livestock Farmers Associations of Malaysia claimed that the massive culling of chicken and higher cost of chicken feed had caused egg prices to rise.