The Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture announced on Thursday that six more countries and regions have suspended chicken imports from Brazil's southern Rio Grande do Sul state.

These countries and regions, joining over 50 other countries and regions which have taken the same measure, are South Africa, Cuba, Canada, South Korea and Switzerland.

Hong Kong of China also suspended chicken import from Brazil.

Belarus, Ukraine and Morocco did the same on Wednesday.

The embargo came after cases of the Newcastle disease was discovered in a small poultry farm in Rio Grande do Sul.

South Africa decided to suspend the purchase of chickens raised in farms up to 50 km away from the farm affected by the Newcastle disease.

Brazilian Minister of Agriculture Luis Carlos Guedes Pinto will negotiate Friday the reopening of the Argentine market to Rio Grande do Sul's chicken exports during a meeting with other South American ministers in Bolivia.

The meeting of the Southern Agriculture and Cattle Breeding Council will also discuss the project of an uniform rural insurance for South America and the "Free from Foot-and-Mouth Disease" Action Program adopted by the Common Market of the South (Mercosur).

Source: Xinhua