The Dominican Republic will resume formal exports of chickens and eggs to Haiti in mid-March, said Luis Ramón Rodriguez, Dominican agriculture minister. The Haitian ban on Dominican poultry and eggs was established in June 2013, but officials from both nations have agreed to a sanitary protocol that will halt the trade barrier.
Rodriguez said poultry exports will start from two farms already certified and that as many as 10 others will be added within six months, Dominican Today reported. Rodriguez said of the country's poultry 120 farms, only between 15 and 20 qualify, for having the capacity to export chickens and eggs to Haiti.
The Haiti ban on Dominican poultry and eggs was initially put in place over fears of avian influenza, after five people died. However, Dominican leaders asserted the ban was unfounded, because the deaths were not caused by avian influenza, but another type of influenza virus.
Once poultry trade between Haiti and the Dominican Republic resumes, the Dominican Republic expects to double formal exports to about 40 million eggs per month and about 8 million chickens per month.
