Thailand ’s poultry exports this year see a brighter outlook than it did in the previous year as Japan has since last month lifted the ban on Thai frozen chicken.

According to the Chicken Raising Promotion Association, Japan, which had imposed the ban on Thai poultry products since 2007 due to the spread of the bird flu in the country, lifted the ban on December 25 last year.

The association President, Chaweewan Khampha, pointed out that Thailand exported 540,000 tonnes of poultry, worth 70 billion THB, during January to October last year. The figure was 3 percent lower that the targeted 600,000 tonnes.

She attributed the lower-than-expected figure to the fact that one of the major exporters was facing business difficulty.

Nonetheless, she projected the nation's export of poultry products this year will reach 650,000 to 700,000 tonnes, valued at 80 billion THB.

Chaweewan said that Japan ’s lifting of the ban has immensely created confidence among poultry exporters. Due to the outbreak of bird flu, which forced the industry to step up its quality control measures, Thailand’s poultry products are now of top quality. That, coupled with the global increasing demand for chicken meat, brightens up the future of poultry exports more than ever.-VNA