Omani poultry ban to be discussed

The Poultry Producers Association will hold a meeting tomorrow to discuss the actions of Omani authorities who have banned some UAE poultry products and eggs.

Two weeks ago the Muscat municipality withheld permission to a UAE company, Al Rawda, to ship poultry products to the Sultanate.

On Friday a shipment of eggs was turned back at the UAE-Omani border via Hatta the border crossing into Oman by officials.

The shipment of eggs was being exported by Al Jazeera Company.

Following the two actions local poultry producers have asked Dubai Municipality, the General Secretariat of Municipalities and the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries to inquire about the official polciy of the Omani authorities as well in order to prevent a repeat of the ban in the future.

They also asked Dubai authorities to consider banning Omani products in retaliation should such practices against UAE products not stop.

A source at a local poultry company told Gulf News that the ban on UAE eggs and poultry products was imposed on the grounds of protecting the market from the bird flu virus.

The source noted that Omani authorities gave verbal instructions to prevent UAE products from entering Oman in the wake of bird flu. Official authorities did not issue the instructions by decree, the source added.

Without a pandemic, any ban is in breach of GCC and bilateral agreements between the UAE and Oman, he added.

Both countries are presently free from bird flu. Abdullah Ahmad Abdul Aziz,

Assistant Deputy Minister for Agricultural Affairs, said there was no legitimate reason to ban the entry of poultry products and eggs to Oman or the UAE, from either country.