The country's poultry industry requires strict precautionary safety measures to protect the industry from the consequences of the bird-flu that already affected many parts of the world.

Kazi Zahidul Hasan, Managing Director of Kazi farm said, strong precaution on bird-flu is necessary not only for local market but also very important issue for access to the potential international market.

Although poultry export did not increase in recent time due to upward trend of local consumption, but the export may see a marked increase in next year for disruption in some of the major supply sources due to the Avian-flu, he added.

He said recent outbreak of bird-flu is likely to create a big export market for new countries as major Asian, European and African poultry supply sources are damaged.

A recent study conducted by the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) said Bangladesh's poultry export may increase by 2.4 times to US$ 2.96 million from 0.88 million in 1999-01 if the WTO reached in a consensus on withdrawal of agri-subsidy and agricultural export-subsidy at the upcoming ministerial meeting in Hong Kong.

Vice Chairman of Export Promotion Bureau Mir Shahabuddin Mohammed said the government for the first time provides 25 per cent cash subsidy to the poultry exporters from current financial year to boost the export.

Bangladesh has already earned a positive impression in international poultry markets for banning import of chicks from 13 Asian countries soon after the disease broke out in the region, said Morshed Alam, President of Bangladesh Poultry Association.

Brazil, the world 2nd largest exporter of poultry, increased its export by 44 per cent in terms of value in 2004 when Thailand and China were affected by bird-flu in 2003, reported Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).

He said, Thailand and China, world's leading poultry exporters, suffered significantly in poultry export last year and would continue to suffer for the next three years.

According to Asian Development Bank, recent outbreak bird-flu could cost US$ 290 billion in the Asia-pacific region only.

The government last week imposed ban on import of chicks from four European countries - Turkey, Greece, Romania and Russia and one Central Asian country, Kazakhstan - where bird-flu has broken out recently.

Bangladesh mainly exports poultry products in Middle Eastern countries.

Disclaimer: All information shown here are from different sources. The SDNP is not responsible for any inaccuracy in them.