Representatives from the Mandalay Livestock Federation (MLF) urged the Mandalay Regional Government to take actions against illegal frozen chicken import and control its trading in the market in Mandalay.
“It is difficult to estimate the real amount of imported frozen chicken in the market because massive shipments are coming into the market. This really has a big impact on local breeders. We can’t even know for sure if the illegally imported frozen chicken is safe to consume,” Dr Kyaw Htain, chairman of MLF, said.
Illegal frozen chickens mostly come from Thailand and China to the Mandalay Region but now chicken eggs are being imported as well, he added.
The federation urged the government to control frozen chicken imports, limit legal frozen chicken imports, clarify land usage for the livestock sector and help maintain stable prices. They also demanded a separate market to trade local chicken production.
“We urged the government to provide protection for local breeders under the law. There are provisions about land usage for agricultural firm in the law, but nothing is mentioned about land for livestock. We want the government to clarify land usage regulations for livestock,” secretary of the Federation, Dr Nay Thurein, said.
Frozen chicken import is legally allowed for foreign and local investors, and requires an export and import licence from the Ministry of Commerce and a safe food recommendation from the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation.
Samples of frozen chicken have to be sent to the Infectious Animal Disease Control Centre to be tested at the laboratory. If the results show the chicken has been frozen for more than three months, the imported frozen chicken are destroyed without any indemnity payment.
There is a price gap of K1,000 to K1,500 per kilo between imported frozen chicken and local chicken, according to the Mandalay Livestock Federation.
Source: Myanmar Business Today
