April 16, 2007

Colombia bans poultry imports from West Virginia

The Colombian government suspended imports of poultry from the US state of West Virginia after cases of H5N2 bird flu were reported there earlier this month.

The Colombian authorities banned the imports of fresh meat, live birds, eggs and other poultry products from West Virginia, the press office of Colombian President Alvaro Uribe said Friday (Apr 13) in a statement.

The re-opening of poultry imports from West Virginia will depend on the evaluation made by the Colombian sanitary authority and the information from US authorities, the statement said.

In 2006, Colombia imported 22,000 tonnes of fresh meat, 228,000 one-day-old chicks, 2,000 turkeys and 450,000 eggs for incubation from the US.

Colombian chicken breeders expect imports from the US to increase when a free trade agreement, if ratified by the US Congress, enters into force.