Press Releases

Transcript of SFH on buyout package for live poultry trade

Following is the transcript of remarks made by the Secretary for Food and Health, Dr York Chow, at a stand-up media session after officiating at the opening ceremony of a symposium today (July 22):

Reporter: Would you consider to lower the target to, say if there are 80 or 70% of retail traders accepting the Government's offer, the Government will launch the buyout scheme for the live poultry trade?

Secretary for Food and Health: The 85% was proposed by the trade during the negotiation regarding ex-gratia payment for them to terminate the business, so this is still our target.

Reporter: What would you do if the target is not met?

Secretary for Food and Health: Looking at the experience for the last two or three weeks, the new policy of not allowing any live chicken (staying overnight) in the wet market has been quite successful. It is able to maintain a constant supply of live chickens to the population, and the price of chickens remains very stable. As we predicted, this is a feasible policy. So if most of the traders prefer to remain, we can of course continue this policy, at least for the time being. But it is important to say that, in the long run, we feel the segregation of humans from chickens is still our aim.

(Please also refer to the Chinese session of the transcript)


Ends/Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Issued at HKT 13:05

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