February 9, 2004

Japan To Import 30,000 Tons Of Chicken From Philippines

Philippines are hoping to export around 30,000 metric tons of chicken to Japan to make up for the shortfall caused by bird flu import bans, Trade Secretary Cesar Purisima said Monday.

"It's not yet a done deal," Purisima said, noting that Japanese authorities are still trying to determine whether quality and safety standards are up to Japanese standards.

He, however, is optimistic that Japan will import chicken from the Philippines, where poultry remains free of the bird flu virus sweeping across Asia, particularly in Thailand and China, which are major chicken exporters.

Purisima said exporting chicken could be a big boost for the domestic poultry industry, which has seen a drop in sales in recent weeks due to the bird flu scare.

"I would like to assure consumers that even though we will export, it won't affect domestic supply," he said.

Meanwhile, Purisima said the government's decision to ban imports of chicken from the state of Delaware in the U.S. won't affect domestic supply.

The Philippines banned imports of chicken from Delaware after a poultry farm was tested positive for a strain of low-pathogenic avian influenza that is harmful to chickens but not to humans.

"The West Coast is our major source of chicken," he said.