TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Thailand has started exporting eggs to Taiwan after the latter announced it was diversifying its suppliers amid shortages and rising prices, reports said Thursday (March 23).

The Council of Agriculture (COA) recently said it would import 60 million eggs in April and May from eight countries, including the United States, Australia, Japan, Thailand, the Philippines, Malaysia, Turkey, and Brazil. Until now, Thailand had only exported eggs to Hong Kong and Singapore, but it was confident its record of 15 years without bird flu would help it develop new markets like Taiwan, CNA reported.

The Thai Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives said the country would ship 325,000 fresh hen eggs to Taiwan by the end of March, while estimating the total for 2023 could reach 50 million, for a value of 230 million baht (NT$204 million, US$6.74 million). Total egg exports for 2022 were worth 1.23 billion baht, according to government officials.

Earlier this month, Taiwan’s Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine (BAPHIQ) sent a delegation to Thailand to discuss the project and negotiate basic principles and health certificates, the report said.