International - Japan Opens Door For Indian Poultry

Japan has approved India as a poultry meat supplying country without inspecting the plants in India. Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) has completed the evaluation of India’s standards for export of poultry meat and its products and has conveyed their approval to the Ministry of Commerce & Industry through the Embassy of India in Tokyo that Indian poultry meets Japanese standards. They will accept hygiene certificates issued by Government of India in this regard with effect from 13th October, 2005. Effectively, this has opened the door for India’s poultry exports to Japan. “This is something that we have been pushing for the whole of last year”, Shri Kamal Nath, Minister of Commerce & Industry, said while welcoming the decision of the Japanese government. He had taken up the matter with the Japanese authorities during his visit to Tokyo in April this year. So far, India has not exported any poultry meat and its products to Japan. Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) had conveyed the health requirements for poultry meat and its products to be exported to Japan from India through a communication dated 15 February, 2005. Thereafter, the Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare undertook the evaluation of India’s standards for export of poultry meat and its products, which has now been completed and conveyed their approval as meeting the Japanese standards. The only caveat in the Japanese government’s approval is that if standards are not properly implemented, they will stop accepting the hygiene certificate. Necessary action has accordingly been initiated by the Ministry of Commerce & Industry (Department of Commerce) for commencement of poultry exports from India to Japan. They are informing the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) and the Export Inspection Division to coordinate efforts to facilitate exports of poultry to Japan.