Bangkok--20 Dec--CPF Corporate Communication
South Korea recently reopened its market for Thai chicken after embargoed for 12 years since bird flu outbreak in the region which prompted 12 qualified exporters celebrate shipment, including Charoen Pokphand Foods Plc (CPF).
General Chatchai Sarikulya, Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister, on Wednesday presided over the release of first export lot of Thai chicken to South Korea at Laem Chabang Port, Chonburi. CPF is the first among 12 Thai exporters to ship frozen chicken products of 15.2 tonnes to Seoul.
General Chatchai said that South Korea government has allowed to import frozen Thai chicken products since Novemeber 9, 2016, resulted from bilateral trade negotiations between the two countries. The permission will also bolster Thai chicken export industry expects that total volume will reach 106.64 tonnes through the end of this year by those qualified exporters.
"We expect that the re-exporting to South Korea will increase chicken export industry to grow by 3 per cent this year," pointed General Chatchai.
Mr.Virachai Ratanabanchuen, Chief Operating Officer for Livestock Feed Business of CPF, said the company has managed the first lot of frozen chicken products to re-export to South Korea. South Korea has stringent standard restrictions on imported foods to ensure food safety to Korean consumers.
In September this year, South Korea government sent officials from The Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency and Ministry of Food and Drug Safety to inspect manufacturing standard of CPF's processing plants in Nakhon Ratchasima, Saraburi and Minburi. These three plants have also been approved export standard resulted CPF's products were the first shipment to South Korea.
"The re-importing this time of South Korea will encourage the Kingdom's chicken export image. CPF is confidence in our world-class processing standard focusing on quality and food safety. Our old customers are also replacing orders to us," said Virachai.
Mr.Virachai noted that Thailand's geographical location closer to South Korea is advantage over Brazil, USA and European Union (EU), who are also major chicken exporters. In addition, skill labour of Thai worker in slaughterhouse has responded to market demand.
"CPF has most concerned on quality and food safety from farm-to-table practices and able for traceability throughout the processing line. Our close-operation kitchen farm has been seriously controlled to prevent disease from vehicle, human and other factors," pointed Mr.Virachai.
The company's stringent protection measure through compartment system has prompted CPF as the first company outside EU to be certified Animal Welfare standard by the Office International des Epizooties (OIE). In addition, CPF products also had been guaranteed by many international standard such as HACCP, ISO9002, ISO14001, TIS18001, ISO/IEC17025 etc.