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WALAILAK KEERATIPIPATPONG
Thai egg producers expect to ship more eggs to Hong Kong after excessive levels of melamine in Chinese eggs were recently discovered in the territory.
Hong Kong normally imports 22-23 million eggs a month from Thailand and the volume is estimated to rise from this year onward, said Saneh Kanasuta, vice-president of the Hen-Egg Farmers, Traders and Exporters Association.
Thai egg exports to Hong Kong rose 44% year-on-year in the first seven months of this year to 206 million.
Mr Saneh said the melamine scare would accelerate moves by Hong Kong to issue new rules on egg imports, requiring certification from the Thai Livestock and Development Department and product traceability that allows officials to locate eggs' origins. Such requirements have been already placed on chicken meat imports to Hong Kong.
''We believe the tougher stance on eggs would benefit Thai producers since many of them have already met such requirements, especially those who do exports to Hong Kong'' he said.Mr Saneh's company, Kanasuta Farm Co, and Charoen Pokphand Foods (CPF) are among the leading egg exporters to Hong Kong, a market dominated by low-priced eggs from China.
Eggs imported from Thailand cost about HK$20 per dozen, compared with HK$11-12 from China.
Hong Kong residents consume 210 eggs per capita per year, similar to other Asian countries; Singaporeans eat 270 to 280 eggs, Malaysians 230 to 240, and Thais only 160.
Thailand's egg production is expected to be 9.36 billion eggs this year, up 4.14% from 2007 thanks to better productivity and farm technologies developed after the bird flu crisis four year ago.
According to the Office of Agricultural Economics, 98% of production is consumed domestically and the remainder is exported, mainly to Hong Kong.
Last year, Thailand shipped 684 containers of eggs abroad and the volume could rise over 800 containers this year, based on statistics from the association showing 70-80 containers shipped a month.
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