VIETNAM, March 1, 2004 -- Offered prices continued increasing during the week, following international market trends.

BELARUS, March 1, 2004 -- Growth in Belarussian poultry production remains strong thanks to solid consumer demand for affordable animal protein. Poultry production increased by about five percent in 2003 and is forecast to increase again in 2004 thanks to additional investment in the industry.

INDONESIA, March 1, 2004 -- On February 17, 2004, FAS/Jakarta received a courtesy copy of an internal letter from the Director General of Livestock Services, which notified a ban on imports for all U.S. poultry products and by-products. The letter specified the date of implementation was February 12, 2004. The ban was due to the Avian Influenza (AI) cases in Delaware. The notification states that the ban will be removed when the OIE declares the United States free of AI.

EUROPEAN UNION, March 1, 2004 -- The European Union has banned trade in all eggs, poultry products and live poultry from U.S. after the outbreak of a highly pathogenic Avian Influenza in Texas. The ban will remain in place until March 23rd while the Commission gathers information on the situation before reviewing the decision. Officials in Texas have said the strain in Texas was considered a low health threat to humans since it is a different strain than the Avian Influenza outbreak in South East Asia.

SENEGAL, March 1, 2004 -- Senegalese government awarded a pre-shipment contract to COTECNA, a Swiss-based firm, in 2001.

PHILIPPINES, March 1, 2004 -- Coconut oil and copra meal exports in November 2003 increased by 4.3 and 13.5 percent, respectively, from their previous year's levels. There were no copra exports during the month.

PHILIPPINES, March 1, 2004 -- Coconut oil exports declined 3.3 percent while those of copra meal rose 9.5 percent in October 2003 compared to their levels the previous year. There were no copra exports during the month.