South Korea resumed imports of Thai chicken this month after a 12-year-long ban first imposed during the avian influenza outbreak in 2004, the agriculture and cooperatives minister said on Friday.
Seoul gave approval on Nov 9 for 12 factories processing raw chicken to supply meat to the South Korean market, Minister Chatchai Sarikulya said.
South Korean officials would arrive early next year to inspect standards at 18 other chicken-processing factories for possible certification, he said.
The re-opening of the market should also benefit 41 factories providing cooked chicken, as the operators could simply send data on their facilities to South Korea to support a request for certification, Gen Chatchai said.
Authorities had worked hard to convince South Korea to lift the ban on Thai chicken over the past 12 years, he said.
Approval followed a visit by seven officials of South Korea's Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency and Ministry of Food and Drug Safety to the 12 certified factories in September.
"South Korea used to import 30,000-40,000 tonnes of chilled and frozen chicken from Thailand annually. If old customers are regained, exports could be worth about 3 billion baht a year," Gen Chatchai said.
The consignment of chicken, ordered on Nov 9, was shipped out to South Korea on Thursday, he said.