Markets reopen to South Korean poultry imports

Hong Kong and Japan have lifted ban’s imposed on South Korean poultry following an outbreak of avian influenza. Imports are to resume this week.

South Korea began exporting chickens and ducks to Hong Kong in July 2009, but was shut out of the Hong Kong market late last year due to the avian influenza outbreak.

“We were able to resume our exports at an early date as the government actively explained its quarantine measures to prevent a recurrence of low pathogenic avian influenza to the Hong Kong government,” the South Korean Ministry of Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries stated in a press release.

“The ministry will continue to work to expand the export market for the country’s chickens and ducks,” the South Korean ministry said.

South Korea has so far exported some 570 tonnes of poultry, worth US$511,000, to Hong Kong. According to Japan’s trade statistics, the country imported close to 800 tonnes of poultry from Korea in 2007.