May 4, 2015

Malaysia resumes chicken export to Japan, allows imports from Brazil

By F.E. OLIMPO

KUALA LUMPUR -- After a hiatus of 11 years, Malaysia has resumed chicken export to Japan, according to Dr.Kamarudin B. Md Isa, director general of Veterinary Service Malaysia.

At the Meet the Press programme organised by Livestock Asia 2015 for Asian agribusiness journalists held at the Corus Hotel in Kuala Lumpur, Dr.Kamarudin said two container vans loaded with 66,000 tonnes of frozen chicken were shippedto Japan recently.

The shipment came from a poultry processor in Malaysia, he said, adding that it was thecountry's first chicken export to Japan since 2004 when Tokyo banned all poultry imports from Asia in the wake of the Asian bird flu epidemic.

Dr.Kamarudin said he expected other Malaysian processors to aggressively pursue the lucrative Japanese poultry market.

Although it remains a net chicken importer, Malaysia currently exports to Singapore and a few other Southeast Asian countries.

It was supposed to start regular exports to the Philippines, according to a Malaysian industry insider.But the deal has been suspended after just one shipment. Since then, the Philippine government wouldn't issue any new import permit for Malaysian chicken, the source said.

Jeffrey Ng, secretary general of the Federation of Livestock Farmers' Associations of Malaysia (FLFAM), told visiting journalists that Peninsular Malaysia, which excludes the states of Sabah and Sarawak, has more than 2,400 broiler farms.

About half of these farms are located inJohor, Perak and Kelantan states. The country's key integrators, according to him, are CP, Leong Hup, Huat Lai, CAB, Lay Hong, Ayamas, and Dindings.

Meanwhile, while local processors pursue export opportunities, the government continues to allow other countries to export chicken to Malaysia as part of its liberalised trade policies.

Chew CheeKhong, group executive director of CAB Cakaran Corporation, said Malaysia recently opened up its market for Brazilian chicken.

He said most chicken imports from Brazil are raw and re-exported by Malaysian processors as finished products.