Cablegate: Timor-Leste Ends Ban On Import of U.S. Poultry

VZCZCXRO2822
RR RUEHAST RUEHCHI RUEHDH RUEHHM RUEHLN RUEHMA RUEHNH RUEHPB RUEHPOD
RUEHSL RUEHTRO
DE RUEHDT #0048 0560814
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 250814Z FEB 10
FM AMEMBASSY DILI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4719
RUEHRC/USDA FAS WASHDC
INFO RUEHJA/AMEMBASSY JAKARTA 1085
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 1383
RUCNASE/ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE
RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE
RUEHC/USAID WASHDC
RUEHDT/AMEMBASSY DILI 4290

UNCLAS DILI 000048

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAGR ETRD TT
SUBJECT: TIMOR-LESTE ENDS BAN ON IMPORT OF U.S. POULTRY

REF: STATE 12958

1. (U) This is an action request. Please see paragraph 4.

2. (U) On February 19, USAID Mission Representative and Poloff
met with Secretary of State for Livestock Valentino Varela from
the Ministry of Agriculture and Dr. Rui Carvalho, National
Director for the Directorate of Quarantine. Secretary of State
Varela notified the U.S. officials that Timor-Leste has lifted
its ban on the import of U.S. poultry. Varela stated that the
GOTL preference would be for the U.S. to import whole chickens,
but that it would also allow the import of cut chickens, as long
as the pieces did not include the chicken legs. Asked for a
clarification, Varela explained that `the antibiotics settle in
the legs.'

3. (U) Varela requested that representatives from the U.S.
Department of Agriculture (USDA) visit Timor-Leste and show the
GoTL what precautions the USDA takes to make sure that the
chickens are disease-free. Although they said that the lifting
of the poultry ban is unconditional, many within the GoTL would
feel better about the decision if the USDA is able to visit and
demonstrate the measures that are taken in the U.S.

4. (U) Action Request: Post asks that USDA consider sending a
team from Washington or Jakarta to provide briefings and
demonstrations regarding appropriate precautionary measures that
are taken prior to the export of U.S. poultry. This would also
be an excellent opportunity for USDA to offer advice and
assistance to the GOTL as it seeks to develop its own sanitary
and phytosanitary measures.

HENICK

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