A number of countries stopped buying poultry products from India after an outbreak of an avian influenza early this year. India declared itself free of bird flu in August after nearly four months of no cases being reported in poultry.

"We will get to see the impact of bird flu on exports this year, but countries will start importing again by December as we have written to them that India is bird flu free now," Charusheela Sohoni, secretary of the department of Animal Husbandry, told reporters.

Poultry exports were 3.26 billion rupees in the financial year ended March 2006, up from 1.54 billion rupees in 2004/05.

To prevent another outbreak of avian influenza, Sohoni said India had stepped up surveillance for winter, when migratory birds flock to the country to avoid severe cold of Europe.

Source: ndtvprofit.com