Thailand to resume chicken exports to Japan in late Jan

BANGKOK, January 11 (TNA) - Thailand is likely to resume chicken exports to Japan late this month, after Tokyo has lifted its decade-long import ban on fresh chicken meat for fear of bird flu since December 25, 2013. Thailand's Caretaker Deputy Prime Minister and Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Yukol Limlaemthong made the assessment on Saturday (Jan 11), after holding talks with local chicken exporters. Yukol expected that Thailand could export about 5,000 tonnes of fresh chicken to Japan during the first quarter this year and about 80,000 tonnes, worth some 8 billion baht totally, by the end of this year. According to the caretaker deputy premier, Thailand's chicken exports to Japan should increase to 200,000 tonnes over the next three years, equivalent to the amount before the ban was imposed. (TNA)