Thailand’s chicken exports up 20 percent in Q1

BANGKOK, May 3 (TNA) - Thailand exported 140,000 tons of processed chicken and raw chicken meats in the first quarter of this year, up by 20 percent year on year, according to the Commerce Ministry. Nantawan Sakuntanaga, Director-General of the ministry’s Trade Promotion Department, disclosed the information on Sunday, saying the value of the chicken exports amounted to 567 million US dollars between the January and March period this year, an increase of 8.4 percent from the last year figure. Nantawan attributed the growth in the chicken exports to the government’s proactive strategies. Thailand has supported its neighboring countries in producing animal feed ingredients, continued negotiating with chicken-importing countries through the World Trade Organization on reduction of trade barriers and explored and developed new markets for its chicken exports, she said. Nantawan said most of Thai chicken exports went to Japan, the United Kingdom, the Netherland, Laos and Singapore, while the county’s chicken exports to South Africa, Malaysia and Cambodia experienced a giant growth during the period. The Thai chicken exports to South Africa grew 180 percent, while the chicken shipments to Malaysia and Cambodia expanded by 170 percent and 100 percent respectively, she said. Nantawan said Thailand is expected to export 620,000 tons of chicken this year, increasing by 5 percent year on year, with the export value of 2.57 billion US dollar. (TNA)