Asian imports of Brazilian turkey mostly unaffected by Newcastle outbreak

Most Asian markets have yet to react to news of a Newcastle disease outbreak at a commercial turkey farm in Brazil, market players and local agencies told Platts, part of S&P Global Energy.

Brazil's Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock confirmed on Oct. 18 an outbreak of Newcastle disease at a commercial turkey farm in Nova Itaberaba, in the southern state of Santa Catarina, one of Brazil's key poultry-producing regions.

As of Oct. 20, Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries has not announced any new suspension of chicken imports from Santa Catarina linked to this latest Newcastle case.

Additionally, a representative from the Singapore Food Agency confirmed awareness of the outbreak, but said Singapore will not halt imports from Santa Catarina. The agency applies a risk-based framework, typically reserving trade restrictions for higher-risk events such as Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, the representative said.

A market source in South Korea said the incident is not expected to significantly affect local imports from Brazil, noting that a similar outbreak in 2024 had almost no impact on South Korean inflows. The source added that South Korea's import regulations for Brazilian chicken meat place less emphasis on Newcastle disease.

In July 2024, Brazil temporarily halted poultry exports to multiple trading partners, including Japan, after confirming a Newcastle disease outbreak in a commercial flock in Rio Grande do Sul. At that time, exports of poultry meat to more than 40 countries were suspended while sanitary controls were strengthened.

However, China's General Administration of Customssuspended imports from 14 Brazilian plants located in Santa Catarina as of Oct. 20, 2026.