Indonesia likely to ban U.S. chicken imports

Sari P. Setiogi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Indonesia is likely to join other Asian nations in slapping bans on poultry imports from the United States, following the finding of two birds on Friday in the northeastern U.S. state of Delaware with the virulent H7 avian influenza strain.

"We are studying the case, but as of the weekend, no decision has been taken. We will discuss it further on Monday," Director of Animal Health Tri Satya Putri Naipospos H at the Ministry of Agriculture told The Jakarta Post on Sunday.

"Most grandparent chicks in Indonesia are imported from the U.S. If we stop imports from the country, we might face a shortage of grandparent chicks," said Tri, without providing a figure.

Separately, executive director of the Indonesian Food and Beverages Association (GAPMI) Thomas Dharmawan told the Post that Indonesia also imported chicken meat from the U.S. for consumption.

However, he said, the imports had declined to 500 tons in 2002, from 14,000 tons in 2000.

"We imported US$163,000 in U.S. chicken in 2002," he said.