UAE lifts import curbs on Indian poultry products

Mumbai: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has lifted a ban on import of poultry products, including eggs, from India.

UAE''s minister for environment and water Mohammed Saeed Al Kindi issued a decree lifting the ban imposed on import of live birds and poultry products from countries hit by bird flu, including India, the official Emirates news agency reported.

The decision follows a clean chit issued by the Organisation of Internationale Epidemia (OIE) or the World Organisation for Animal Health, as a result of safety measures taken by New Delhi to get bird flu under total control, the report said.

The ministry urged the department of animal resources of the ministry to coordinate with all related bodies in the country - like the National Emergency Committee and the General Secretariat of UAE Municipalities - to implement the decision.

The UAE had imposed the ban in February 2006, following reports of a break-out of avian flu in India. Other Gulf countries like Muscat and Doha also had followed the ban, but lifted it last year following an official declaration from the World Organisation of Animal Health on India''s poultry disease free-status, sources said.

Two weeks ago, India''s commerce and industry minister Kamal Nath had requested the UAE''s minister of economy Shaikha Lubna Al Qasimi to lift the ban, at a meeting in New Delhi.

UAE imports about 10 lakh eggs per day and out of this, about 35 per cent was from Namakkal in Tamil Nadu, India''s poultry hub. After the ban, UAE was importing eggs from Europe at costs far higher, sources said.