UAE requires poultry imports from disease-free states amid outbreak

The UAE is requiring poultry imports to carry a health declaration that the birds and their products originate from a disease-free state, the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment said Nov. 2. But the ministry did not confirm whether that rules out products from Brazil's Santa Catarina state following its outbreak of Newcastle disease.

In an emailed response to Platts' queries about the UAE's position on Brazilian poultry, the ministry said imports of live birds, hatching eggs and day-old chicks are permitted "in accordance with the approved health certificate, which must include a health declaration confirming that the birds and their products originate from a disease-free state (first administrative division)."

The first administrative division in Brazil is the state. The ministry did not name Brazil or Santa Catarina, and its reply covered live birds, hatching eggs and day-old chicks rather than frozen chicken. The ministry did not respond to questions by Platts, part of S&P Global Energy, on the status of frozen chicken products from the affected area.

Brazil's Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAPA) confirmed the Newcastle disease outbreak at a turkey farm in Santa Catarina on Oct. 18. Saudi Arabia suspended imports of poultry from the state, MAPA said in an Oct. 21 statement. UAE importers said at the time that they had heard of no restrictions and were following Saudi Arabia's lead. "Here in UAE didn't hear anything about this yet," a UAE-based processor said Oct. 22.

The market was quiet Nov. 3. Platts assessed frozen chicken breast CIF Middle East unchanged at $2,955/mt. No new offers had emerged for December loading, though a UAE-based trader said, "new offers will start to come this week."