International Egg and Poultry Review - By the USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service - This is a weekly report looking at international developments concerning the poultry industry, this week looking at developments in Japan and South Korea.

Effects of Japan's Suspension of Poultry Products from China

Japan’s agriculture ministry (MAFF) suspended imports of poultry and poultry products from China effective May 12, 2003, after the Japanese Animal Quarantine Office isolated and identified highly pathogenic avian influenza from duck meat imported from China.

After MAFF confirmed that over 90 days had passed since the last outbreak of avian influenza and appropriate sanitary measures had been taken, MAFF decided to lift the import suspension of chicken meat and products derived from chickens that were slaughtered on and after August 17, 2003. During the ban, China continued to supply prepared broiler products produced at plants that were approved by MAFF.

Avian Influenza in South Korea

A suspected case of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) has been detected in South Korea. Between December 5 and December 11 the virus killed nearly 19,000 of 24,000 chickens at a broiler breeder farm, located about 50 miles southeast of Seoul. The remaining 5,000 birds were destroyed as a precautionary measure, and a quarantine was placed on 76 poultry farms within a 6.2-mile radius of the farm. On December 16, the Agriculture Ministry disclosed it was investigating a neighboring farm's 3,300 ducks.

South Korea’s poultry industry has 100 million chickens, mostly for local consumption. This year chicken exports totaled 300,000 chickens worth $591,200 and 3,000 tons of chicken meat worth $7,263,514. Korea’s main export market is Japan. The government and the Korean Chicken Council have aggressively promoted exports of chilled chicken parts and some cooked chicken soup to Japan. Its main competitors are China and Thailand.

Recent outbreaks of Avian Influenza have been in the southeastern most part of China and in Hong Kong. Earlier this year there was an outbreak in the Netherlands, which spread to Germany and Belgium. HPAI has never been detected in South Korea and Japan has not had an outbreak since 1925. Korea has had sporadic cases of low pathogenic avian influenza since 1996.

Russia

The Russian Government recently approved a resolution requiring country of origin certificates for a wide range of products, including agricultural goods. The measure is designed to prevent transshipment of third country products intentionally mislabeled to gain tariff preferences. The decree becomes effective January 1, 2004.

The Russian Statistics Committee reported domestic chicken leg quarter prices increased nearly 6.8 percent in November, while imported chicken leg quarter prices were flat. The price premium for domestic chicken leg quarters returned to the long-term trend of about 30 percent above imported leg quarter prices. Prices on domestic poultry frozen carcasses and boneless breasts decreased in November.

To view the full report, including tables please click here (PDF Format)

Source: USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service - 16th December 2003.