(MENAFN- Muscat Daily) A team representing officials from the Ministry of Regional Municipalities and Water Resources (MRMWR), the Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs, Muscat Municipality and the Public Authority for Consumer Protection is in India to check methods of slaughter and processing of poultry to give farms the certificate to export their products to the sultanate.
In a decision in May this year, the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries lifted the import ban on poultry and its products from India but with certain clauses which makes necessary for an Indian company to get its premises and husbandry procedures verified by Omani officials first.
The new measures were taken to avoid on and off ban on poultry imports from India, which lasted about 12 months in a 15-month period before May, due to recurrent outbreak of bird flu in the country.
With the new decision, all exporting units in India must follow World Organisation for Animal Health's (OIE) concept of ‘zoning and compartmentalisation' for purposes of disease control and international trade.
Also, the certificate to export to Oman is subject to field inspection by a technical team from the sultanate to ensure companies honour the conditions stipulated.
The visiting team is being led by Mohammed bin Reda, assistant director-general for health and inspection, MRMWR.
The team's week-long programme includes visits to four poultry farms producing eggs in Bengaluru, as well as meeting with the relevant government agencies with regard to export of eggs.
The team will also visit slaughterhouses and poultry processing units to see that procedures are in line with Islamic slaughter.
Speaking to Muscat Daily from India, Dr P V Senthil, secretary of Livestock and Agri Farmers Trade Association, India, said that process laid down by Oman is proactive, and if it is adopted by other countries, it will be a win-win situation for all.
''A team from Oman visited Namakkal in Tamil Nadu, which is the largest egg producing and exporting region in the country, in July and inspected many poultry farms here.
''Since then, the export of eggs to Oman has touched 40-50 containers per month (472,320 eggs per container). The latest visit by Omani officials will open doors for many other production units,'' he added.
Senthil added that exports from Namakkal saw a big drop last year because of Oman ban, but with new procedures in place it is slowly getting better.
''The domestic industry incurred huge losses and is still running under losses, but it is far better placed than last year with exports to Oman now open,'' he sai
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