Poultry Association Chief Opposes Chinese Chicken Imports
China has applied to export poultry to Thailand, but the Poultry Promotion Association chairman warns approval could devastate Thai farmers and the country's thriving chicken export industry through disease risk and price competition.
The Department of Livestock recently revealed that China has applied to open its poultry meat export market to Thailand, though this remains an initial step with no import authorization yet, pending safety review and farmer consultation. Dr. Chuwiwat Kampaa, chairman of Thailand's Poultry Promotion Association, strongly opposes opening the market to Chinese chicken, saying approval would inflict severe damage on the country. He emphasized that Thai farmers struggled for years to develop a globally recognized export system without government support, and today Thailand's poultry industry is thriving abroad with high sanitary standards, providing sustainable livelihoods for breeders. Dr. Chuwiwat warned that if disease enters through Chinese imports, long-standing international buyers could cancel all orders, causing massive losses comparable to problems seen with durian and coconut exports, and throwing many educated Thai workers into unemployment. He called on Thais to defend farmers, sellers, and exporters, declaring that any politician or government approving Chinese chicken imports would be a national traitor causing severe harm. He noted that China is both a competitor in poultry exports and likely to use price manipulation to crush Thailand's chicken market.
