Thailand Scores Poultry Export Victory, Cracking Open Philippines Market for Raw Chicken and Duck

Thailand has achieved a significant breakthrough in agricultural exports, successfully gaining access to the Philippines market for raw chicken and duck for the first time.

Following high-level discussions, the Philippine authorities have given the green light to initial shipments, a move expected to boost Thai farmers' exports by 5,000 tonnes annually, with an estimated value of 500 million baht.

The Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Narumon Pinyosinwat, announced the positive development, stemming from talks with the Philippine Secretary of Agriculture, Francisco P. Tiu Laurel, Jr., back in February.

The Department of Livestock Development has now received confirmation from the Philippine Embassy in Thailand that their National Veterinary Quarantine Service Division-BAI has accredited two Thai facilities for the export of raw poultry meat to the Philippines.

These approved establishments are Bangkok Ranch (EST. 14) and Panas Poultry (EST. 79). The official certification has been signed, and the final stages of public notification are underway.

As part of this concluding process, the Philippine Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) has requested a sample of the Health Certificate for poultry meat from the Thai Department of Livestock Development for their review of the certification details. The draft Health Certificate will be submitted to the BAI imminently.

"This is excellent news for Thai farmers, who will now be able to export poultry meat to the Philippines, fulfilling our previous discussions with them. Today, this has become a reality. The Philippines has granted Thailand permission to export raw poultry, and once the Health Certificate documentation is finalised, exports can commence immediately," Minister Narumon stated.
 

Initially, the Philippines has approved two Thai export plants – one duck processing facility and one chicken processing facility.

Further accreditations for other plants are anticipated in the future. Previously, Thailand's poultry exports to the Philippines were limited to cooked chicken.

This landmark agreement marks the first time the raw chicken market has been opened, a development of considerable significance given the substantially larger market for raw poultry compared to cooked.

It is projected that the initial two certified plants will be able to export 5,000 tonnes annually to the Philippines, generating 500 million baht in revenue.

"With the potential for more facilities to be registered, Thailand could capture approximately 25% of the Philippines' raw poultry meat import market, valued in the tens of billions of baht, offering a significant expansion of opportunities for Thai farmers," Minister Narumon concluded.