Oman bans poultry from Malaysia, Vietnam, Cambodia

Oman has implemented a ban on the import of live poultry and poultry products from Malaysia, Vietnam, and Cambodia.

Roy Graber Headshot
Yurii Bukhanovskyi, Bigstock
Yurii Bukhanovskyi, Bigstock

Oman has implemented a ban on the import of live poultry and poultry products from Malaysia, Vietnam, and Cambodia.

Oman’s Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries Wealth (MoAFW) announced the ban on poultry from the three countries, saying the bans were based on the recommendation of “the concerned veterinarian authority,” and identified that authority as an “international board,” according to a report from the Times of Oman.

Avian influenza reported in all three banned countries

While the ministry did not specify what those veterinary concerns were, all three countries have had confirmed cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza in 2018.

In Malaysia, three cases of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza were reported at the beginning of September by the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE). In those cases, a total of 770 chickens and ducks were culled.

Several days prior to the confirmation of avian influenza in Malaysia, OIE reported a case of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in Cambodia, in which a backyard flock was affected. At this farm, 318 birds died, while an additional 60 susceptible birds were culled and disposed of.

Vietnam has also had recent cases of avian influenza. In the last days of July, the H5N6 variant of the virus was detected in backyard poultry flocks at three locations in the north of the country — two in Hai Phong province, and one in Nghe An. Almost 1,600 of the birds died, and a further 11,030 have been destroyed to reduce the risk of the virus spreading.

Prior to that case, the last outbreak in Vietnam occurred in February.

Oman's growing poultry sector

Oman, meanwhile, has had no cases of avian influenza reported to the OIE. The Middle Eastern country’s poultry industry has been in a state of growth, as Dar Al Tomouh and A’Saffa Foods have invested in new poultry projects with hopes of helping Oman reach food self-sufficiency.

Dar Al Tomouh is setting up a broiler chicken farm, hatchery and poultry meat processing plant, as well as chicken-rearing contracts with local farmers, providing employment, business opportunities and better food security for people in the Sultanate. Also included in the plan are a poultry disease diagnostic lab, and a breeder farm to produce hatching eggs.

 A’Saffa Foods, meanwhile, announced plans to double its chicken meat capacity. It’s two-phase expansion project was estimated to cost OMR45 million (US$117 million).

 

 

 

Page 1 of 170
Next Page