Ban imposed on egg import from Hungary will not affect local poultry sector

The embargo imposed on the imports of eggs, poultry and poultry products from Hungary and Russia, after the outbreaks of bird flu confirmed in those two countries, will be temporary and will not affect the local poultry sector, director of the State Enterprise for Research and Production “Avicola-Moldova”, Ion Bazgu, stated. Until now Moldova imported from Hungary germinative material, especially one-day chickens, eggs for incubation and products intended for feeding birds in proportion of 10% of the necessary, the rest was covered from own resources. According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry (MAFI), no case of bird flu was reported in Moldova so far. As experts say, the birds at the poultry enterprises in Moldova are running minimum risks of contamination, as they are functioning under a closed regime. Moreover, a virusologic laboratory created to trace the flu virus, within the Republican Centre for Veterinary Diagnostics, was put into operation last summer. The laboratory, set up with the support of the European Commission, includes modern equipment and enables to undertake researches in this field according to international standards. As from January 26, 2007, the MAFI Veterinary Medicine Division, ceased importing from Hungary poultry products, germinative material and products intended for feeding the birds. Poultry products and products intended to feed the birds are not being imported from the Russian Federation at present.