3 Countries Lift Ban on Import of Indian Poultry Products
INDIA - Three of the eight countries which had stopped import of poultry products from India following the bird flu outbreak in Manipur in July have lifted the ban.
6 December 2007
2 minute read
Oman, Bhutan and Saudi Arabia have communicated this to India and have already resumed trade. Qatar plans to soon follow suit. Speaking to TOI, Qatar's director of the department of animal resources Kaseem Naseer Al Qahtani, who is in Delhi to attend the International Ministerial Conference on Avian and Pandemic Influenza, said a high-level meeting in Doha on Monday will finalise lifting of the ban.
The meeting will be presided over by Qatar's minister of municipal affairs and agriculture Sheikh Abdul Rahman bin Khalifa. "Over 30% of Qatar's egg imports come from India. We should hopefully lift the ban early next week, "Qahtani told TOI. The countries that are yet to lift the ban include UAE, Sri Lanka, Kuwait and Bahrain.
The decision to lift the ban came soon after India declared itself bird flu free on November 7. The news was made public through the France-based World Organisation of Animal Health (OIE).
"On July 27, we confirmed a fresh outbreak of bird flu in Manipur. By August 8, we had completed culling and disinfection operations. On November 7, we informed OIE of our bird flu-free status," joint secretary of the agriculture ministry Upma Chawdhry told TOI.
