Chickens and eggs from Myanmar will soon be exported to Saudi Arabia, Dr Aung Gyi, deputy director general of Myanmar Livestock Breeding and Veterinary Department, told Myanmar Times last month.

"It is a good opportunity for our country and chicken farmers here to develop the export market. We have already had offers from the Saudi side to buy chickens and eggs," Dr Aung Gyi said.

Myanmar Broiler Association held a workshop on November 13 at the Myanmar Fisheries Federation headquarters in Yangon to discuss export procedures concerning the Saudi offer.

"It is important that we take great care to protect against infectious chicken diseases and to introduce better breeding. This will help us get more market share in the long term," Dr Aung Gyi added.

Chicken farmers should also ensure that the feed they are giving their chickens does not contain any prohibited chemicals, he said.

The Saudi offer to buy Myanmar poultry products was made after the World Animal Health Organisation declared the country free from bird flu. There has been no outbreak of bird flu in Myanmar since the beginning of April.

An official of the Myanmar Livestock Federation said there could be a chicken surplus on the local market during the next six months.

"We estimate that oversupply could produce a surplus of about 40 percent over the next six months," said the federation official. The surplus arises from the importation of broiler chickens following Cyclone Nargis in order to meet local demand.

Currently, about 33,000 viss of chicken (one viss equals 1.6 kilograms) are supplied daily to the Yangon market, according to Myanmar Times.