The Mexican government has increased its duty-free import quota for chicken by 55,000 tons due to limited domestic production amid outbreaks of bird flu.

Such an announcement was posted in the official newspaper of the Mexican government, which also provides evidence of confirmed cases of bird flu in about two thirds of the states of the country.

Increasing total imports, Mexico at the same time banned the import of chicken products from several US states, citing the outbreak in these regions of Newcastle disease, a viral disease of birds, mainly chicken.

“To avoid a shortage ... it is advisable to leave open external supply options and expand the quota for the import of fresh, chilled and frozen chicken meat,” the official report of the Mexican Ministry of Economy says. The United States for Mexico has traditionally been the largest foreign supplier of chicken.

Under the new quota, buyers can import fresh, chilled, or frozen chicken, including legs and hips, which are especially sought after by Mexican consumers.

Avian influenza or classical bird plague is an acute infectious viral disease of birds, characterized by damage to the digestive system, respiration and high mortality. A particularly dangerous disease that can cause great economic damage.