Imports of poultry meat from avian flu-infected countries almost banned

Dutch imports of living poultry from European countries recently affected by avian flu were completely banned; imports of poultry meat were almost completely banned. Poultry meat imports from avian flu-affected countries were worth almost 4.2 million euro in 2004, less than 0.9 percent of total poultry meat imports.

Value of imports of poultry by country of origin

Imports of poultry meat

The Netherlands imported poultry meat to the amount of over 467 million euro in 2004. Altogether 90 percent came from other European member states. Belgium is main supplier with almost 30 percent of total poultry meat imports, followed by Germany (20 percent) and the United Kingdom (16 percent).
The Netherlands imported poultry meat from two countries struck by bird flu, i.e. Rumania and Greece. These imports were worth 4 million euro and 180 thousand euro respectively in 2004.

Imports of living poultry by country of origin

Living poultry

Imports of living poultry amounted to 206 million euro in 2004, over 85 percent came from Germany. Imports of living poultry is mainly a Western European affair, just 0.2 percent of total imports value of living poultry came from other regions.

Living poultry imports total 218 million birds

In 2004 the Netherlands imported more than 218 million cocks, chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys and guinea fowls, a rise by more than 99 million compared to 2003. The sturdy increase is the consequence of the bird flu outbreak in the Netherlands in March 2003. Many poultry farms stood empty for months. With 186 million fowl, a large proportion of total imports of living poultry came from Germany (over 85 percent).
 

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