International Egg and Poultry Review: U.S. Poultry Exports to China
By the USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service - This is a weekly report looking at international developments concerning the poultry industry, this week looking at U.S. Poultry Exports to China.
U.S. Poultry Exports to China
U.S. poultry exports to China are recovering in 2005. U.S. poultry meat
exports to China fell from 178,956 metric tons in 2003 to only 23,173
MT in 2004 after China banned U.S. poultry imports in February 2004
due to a case of low path avian influenza in Delaware. Exports to Hong
Kong fell from 302,646 MT in 2003 to 202,426 MT in 2004.

The Chinese Government officially re-opened the market on December
27, 2004, after lifting the ban on U.S. poultry and poultry products
for poultry slaughtered on or after November 8, 2004 with the exception
of product produced in Rhode Island and Connecticut. The first containers
of U.S. poultry cleared Chinese Customs on January 20, 2005.

Poultry Industry in India
India’s poultry sector has grown steadily over the past several years.
Broiler production is forecast to increase by 16 percent to 2.2 million
tons in CY 2006, from an estimated 1.9 million tons in 2005. A trend
toward forward integration in poultry operations has spread into the
north, after mostly being in the south. A preference for birds with higher
dressing yields, and price stabilization measures initiated by the industry
are also factors supporting growth in production.
Egg production was forecast at 24,091 million eggs, down 4.5 percent
from 25,218 million eggs in January – June 2004.

The government of India does not classify poultry farming as an industrial
or agricultural enterprise, leaving the option of classification
up to individual States. With agriculture status, farmers could qualify
for loans at low interest rates, benefits with respect to sales taxes,
land and labor laws, and other government assistance. Agricultural
income is generally tax-free. Only a few States have given poultry
farms the status of agriculture.
India’s 17th Livestock Census was released in early 2005 with October
15, 2003 as the reference date. The total poultry population in
India was 489 million, up 45 percent from 337 million in 1997. Andra
Pradash ranked first with 102.3 million followed by Tamilnadu with
86.6 million, Uttaranchal West with 60.7 million and Maharashtra with
38.0 million.
Source: International Egg Commission, Government of India Ministry
of Agriculture, USDA Foreign Agricultural Service, UN Food and Agriculture
Organization, news services
Impact of Katrina on U.S. Poultry Exports
The destruction left by Hurricane Katrina was devastating and the full extent of the damage is unknown. The Port of New Orleans, Gulfport and
Pascagoula suffered heavy damage. The Mississippi ports are major shipping points for exports of U.S. poultry.
In 2000, almost 22 percent of
all poultry exported from the U.S. moved through Gulfport or Pascagoula. The Gulfport is also the United States' top port for exports of frozen
poultry to Russia and the former Soviet states. New Orleans is also a major port for exports of chicken.
Source: Mississippi Agricultural & Forestry Experiment Station, news services
To view the full report, including tables please click here
Source: USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service - 6th September 2005