Press Releases

Live chicken imports remain unchanged prior to Lunar New Year

As Hong Kong is still under threat of avian influenza, the Government has decided to maintain the present level of daily live chicken imports from the Mainland at 7,000 chickens prior to the Lunar New Year, a spokesman said today (January 16).

"Since the outbreak of avian influenza among poultry at a local farm in Yuen Long last month, Hong Kong has raised the alert level for avian influenza to the serious response level. Coupled with the occurrence of human and poultry infection by avian influenza in the region, we cannot take lightly our work on the prevention and control of avian influenza.

"Under such circumstances, we will not increase the live chicken imports from the Mainland merely for festive demand," the spokesman added.

In fact, an average of about 1,800 chickens were overstocked at the Cheung Sha Wan Temporary Poultry Wholesale Market each day since live poultry trading resumed in the retail market on December 30, 2008.

According to the stock and age distribution of the chickens in local poultry farms, it is envisaged that the supply of live chickens will remain stable in the next few weeks.

In addition, the spokesman noted that the supply and market share of chilled and frozen chickens are on the increase, giving the public more choice.



Ends/Friday, January 16, 2009
Issued at HKT 17:50

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