Thai chicken exports set to rise as bird flu fears ease
THAILAND - Thailand has said its chicken exports were expected to rise by almost 30 percent this year as concerns ease among key export markets over the deadly bird flu virus in the kingdom.The agriculture ministry said exports of cooked chicken were targeted at 350,000 tonnes this year, a jump from 276,000 tonnes shipped in 2005, due mainly to increased orders from Japan and the European Union.
Thailand has already shipped 140,000 tonnes of chicken abroad during January to June. Japan and the EU are the two biggest buyers of Thai chicken.
"Together with rising consumption in Japan and the EU, consumers there are more confident in the quality of chicken exported from Thailand," Yukol Limlamthong, director of the livestock development department, told AFP.
Source: Todayonline