Press Releases
SFH meets Mainland delegation on food supply to Hong Kong (with photo)
The Secretary for Food and Health, Dr Ko Wing-man, today (January 20) met with a Mainland delegation tasked to ensure stable supply and safety of agricultural products to Hong Kong during the Chinese New Year. The delegation was led by the Assistant Minister of Commerce, Mr Zhang Ji. They exchanged views on the supply and safety of food to Hong Kong.
Members of the delegation include representatives from the State General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the People's Government of Guangdong Province. Other officials of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government attending the meeting are the Permanent Secretary for Food and Health (Food), Mrs Cherry Tse, the Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene, Miss Vivian Lau, and the relevant officials from the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department and the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department.
"The Mainland is the major source of agricultural products, especially live and fresh food, for Hong Kong. Relevant agencies in the Mainland have all along attached great importance to the quality, safety and stable supply of food to Hong Kong and established a very close liaison mechanism with Hong Kong. The Ministry of Commerce leads a delegation to Hong Kong to exchange views and conduct visits in this regard every year," Dr Ko said.
At the meeting, both sides discussed and noted that with the approach of the Chinese New Year, the Ministry of Commerce had adopted five measures to require the relevant Mainland agencies to get prepared for ensuring a steady supply of safe agricultural products to Hong Kong during the festive season. These measures are, namely, proactively organising the sources of supply, enhancing the contingency plan, preventing infectious diseases and epidemic, strengthening the sense of service, and setting up a round-the-clock communication mechanism.
Both sides agreed that the relevant departments of the two places would continue to maintain close contact and communication with a view to continuing ensuring food safety and steady supply of food products supplied to Hong Kong by the Mainland.
Ends/Friday, January 20, 2017
Issued at HKT 19:53
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