March 29, 2004

China Set To Suffer Severe Bird Flu Losses    

Despite being free of bird flu for nearly two weeks, China is still set to suffer severe losses from the outbreak as most countries have yet to resume poultry imports.

China's production of poultry meat is expected to fall by 20 percent this year, caused partly by plunging demand from overseas markets, the China Business Weekly newspaper cited agriculture ministry research as saying.

"The complete lifting of bans or restrictions on Chinese products still needs some time," said Chen Yaochun, president of the China Association of Animal Husbandry, according to the newspaper.

A total of 48 countries and regions imposed restrictions on imports of Chinese poultry products after the bird flu outbreak in late January.

Of these, only 21 have so far declared that they might lift the import restrictions either partially or in their entirety, the newspaper said.

China is the world's fifth-largest exporter of chicken and shipped 420,000 tons abroad last year, only slightly behind Thailand's 500,000 tons, according to statistics from the US Department of Agriculture.

Beginning on January 27, China placed a total of 49 areas under quarantine after cases of bird flu were discovered.

The Chinese government said no human infections were reported and declared the lifting of the last two isolation orders on March 16.