Press Releases
Govt will not relax import limit on live Mainland chickens for Winter Solstice
To safeguard public health in view of the continued outbreaks of avian influenza
on the Mainland, the daily limit on imports of live chickens from the Mainland
would not be relaxed for the Winter Solstice, a spokesman for the Health,
Welfare and Food Bureau said today (December 16).
Currently, daily imports of live chickens from the Mainland must not exceed
30,000.
Two days ago, the Ministry of Agriculture said there was still a possibility of
sporadic outbreaks of avian influenza on the Mainland during winter and early
spring, and it was still fighting an uphill battle to prevent and control the
disease, the spoksman said. The Mainland also confirmed another human case and
another poultry case of avian influenza last night.
"The continued outbreaks of avian influenza on the Mainland has made it
difficult for us to suspend the upper limit of live chickens allowed to be
imported into Hong Kong before Winter Solstice," the spokesman said. "We hope
members of the public and the trade understand our decision.
"In fact, the eating habits of the public have changed over the years due to the
bird flu scare. The number of chilled chickens imported from the Mainland has
increased from a daily average of less than 15,000 in 2003 to a daily average of
over 60,000 this year."
Ends/Friday, December 16, 2005
Issued at HKT 18:37
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