Press Releases

FHB calls on live poultry traders to stay calm

A spokesman for the Food and Health Bureau today (October 10) called on live poultry traders to stay calm, adding that drastic actions would not help resolve matters.

In response to media enquiries, the spokesman said that at the end of the buyout scheme for the live poultry trade on September 24, only 131 retailers decided to remain in business.

There was also an overnight stocking of several thousand live chickens on average in wholesale market in the past three months.

"The Government had therefore decided to set the number of daily supply of live chickens at around 10,000 starting from September 25 in accordance with the projected retail capacity.

"Since then, no shortage of live chickens was found at retail level in general. There is still overnight stocking of live chickens in the wholesale market. It is therefore believed that the current daily supply of live chickens can meet market demand," the spokesman said.

The supply of chilled and frozen chickens is sufficient. People are consuming more chilled and frozen chickens, as reflected in the rising trend in the market share of these two kinds of chickens.


Ends/Friday, October 10, 2008
Issued at HKT 19:00

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