Replies to LegCo questions
LCQ10: Vegetables supplied to Hong Kong from Mainland
Following is a question by the Hon Fred Li and a written reply by the Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food, Dr York Chow, in the Legislative Council today (July 12):
Question:
Regarding vegetables supplied to Hong Kong from the Mainland, will the
Government inform this Council:
(a) whether it is aware that some traders have sourced vegetables directly from
various markets in the Pearl River Delta Region for sale in Hong Kong, instead
of from registered Mainland farms that supply vegetables to Hong Kong;
(b) as the vegetables concerned may be transported to Hong Kong in sealed
trucks, and the traders may declare to the Customs and Excise Department that
they are vegetables for "export", whether it has estimated the daily quantity of
vegetables imported to Hong Kong by such means;
(c) whether random inspections have been conducted on these vegetables; if so,
of the number of samples taken in each of the past three years;
(d) whether actions have been taken against traders selling vegetables so
imported; if so, of the number of actions taken and prosecutions instituted in
each of the past three years, as well as the penalties imposed in the conviction
cases; and
(e) as the vegetables mentioned above may have escaped the inspection and
testing by the Government, how it can ensure that such vegetables comply with
food hygiene standards in Hong Kong?
Reply:
Madam President:
(a) During the checking of vehicles transporting vegetables from the Mainland at
entry point, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) has discovered
vegetables originating from non-registered Mainland vegetable farms or
collection stations.
(b, c, d) A great majority of vegetables imported on land route are transported
with non-sealed trucks via Man Kam To control point. Sometimes there are
vegetables transported with sealed trucks equipped with refrigerating device.
However, all of them are processed vegetables, such as washed, sliced or cut.
All cargos entering into Hong Kong from the Mainland via land route must undergo
importation procedures according to the law. There is no alternative treatment
for cargos to be "re-exported". According to records, the Customs and Exercise
Department (C&ED) has not discovered any traders transporting vegetables via
land route with sealed trucks into Hong Kong who claimed that the vegetables
were for "export" on the manifest. Therefore, we think that no vegetables are
imported into Hong Kong with this method. Besides, we do not have any record of
such vegetables which were declared to be for export but were sold in Hong Kong
in fact.
Although no case of using sealed trucks to transport vegetables into Hong Kong
but claimed to be for export has been discovered, according to information from
the C&ED, there are traders using sealed trucks to transport vegetables without
making correct declaration on the manifest. In 2005, the C&ED did not discover
any cases of transporting vegetables with sealed trucks without correct
declaration on the manifest. From January to June 2006, two such cases were
discovered, involving 5040 kg of vegetables.
Staff of C&ED in Man Kam To Control Point has always maintained close
cooperation with FEHD and conduct joint operation from time to time. When
imported vegetables suspected to have problems are discovered, the vegetables
will immediately be handed over to FEHD to follow up. Since January 2005, the
authority has detained 24 trucks containing vegetables with problems and
destroyed 10 tonnes of such vegetables.
(e) Currently, all incoming trucks transporting vegetables from the Mainland
must be equipped with certifications issued by relevant Mainland import and
export inspection and quarantine authority to certify that the vegetables
contained in the truck are originated from registered farms or collection
stations in the Mainland.
At Man Kam To import control point, the FEHD checks the certification issued by
the relevant import and export inspection and quarantine authority in the
Mainland. Upon checking, if the vegetables are discovered to be originated from
non-registered vegetable farms or collection stations, the vegetables will be
detained by FEHD until their pesticide residue test results are satisfactory.
Besides, we also cooperate with the Mainland to fight against traders importing
vegetables from non-registered farms. Whenever FEHD discover any trucks
transporting such kind of vegetables, FEHD will record the data of these trucks
and transfer such information for the Mainland authorities to follow up.
The FEHD will continue to take samples of vegetables of pesticide residue
testing at import, wholesale and retail levels, in order to ensure that the
vegetables sold in the market are safe and suitable for human consumption.
Ends/Wednesday, July 12, 2006
Issued at HKT 12:35
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