As Japan’s poultry ban ends, Indonesia eyes other Asian markets

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  Andrea Gantz

  The Indonesian poultry industry hopes the end of Japan's ban on Indonesian poultry will also help trade in other markets.

  From WATTAgNet:
  As Indonesia prepares to ship poultry to Japan after the lifting of a 10-year ban, the Indonesian poultry industry also has its eyes on other Asian markets.
  As Japanese buyers are known for their strict quality controls, industry sources said the move could be seen a seal of approval for Indonesian chicken, which could help it reach other Asian markets.
  Japan had banned the import of Indonesian poultry around ten years ago over avian influenza concerns, but agreed to resume the imports after a visit by trade delegates to updated facilities eased those fears, said Nurlaila Nur Muhamad, director of agriculture and forestry product exports at Indonesia's trade ministry.
  "The first Japan poultry shipment is now imminent," Muhamad told Reuters. "We have a chance at exporting to other countries, not only Japan ... The first choice is Asia."
  Hit by scares over chicken meat safety in 2014, Japan was open to further diversifying its poultry supplies beyond China and Thailand, signing an agreement with Indonesia in August that is expected to be worth up to $200 million a year. In 2003, before the ban on shipments, Indonesian cargoes accounted for less than 1 percent of the total value of Japan's poultry imports.
  Currently worth more than $4 billion annually, Indonesia's domestic poultry sector also has plenty of potential to grow as the world's biggest Muslim population has been consuming more poultry as the economy has improved. Indonesians are expected to consume more chicken in 2015 than in 2014, according to analysts.