Press Releases
Live chicken imports to increase for Mid-Autumn Festival
The daily ceiling of live chicken imports from Mainland would be temporarily
raised for four days from 20,000 to 70,000 to meet the surge in public demand, a
spokesman for the Food and Health Bureau said today (September 14).
The short-term ceiling lift would apply to the wholesale market for four days
from September 20 to 23. The additional live chickens would be supplied to
retail markets from September 21 to 24, the four days preceding the Mid-Autumn
Festival.
The number of chickens to be imported would be scaled back to the daily limit of
20,000 on September 24 for the wholesale.
The spokesman said: "The decision is made after considering the suggestion of
the legislators representing the catering, wholesale and retail sectors,
discussing with the live poultry trade, assessing public demand for live
chickens during festival and balancing risk of avian influenza."
The spokesman stressed that, in accordance with the consensus reached by the
Government and the live poultry trade, traders should strictly observe public
health regulations and ensure no overstocking of live chickens in the retail
outlets.
"If avian influenza infection is found in human or poultry in Guangdong or Hong
Kong prior to or during this period, the Government will immediately suspend the
arrangement to increase live chicken imports," he said.
The Government would closely monitor the market situation during this period
when live chicken imports would be increased, the spokesman added.
In addition, relevant government departments, including the Customs and Excise
Department, the Police, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department
and the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, would work closely with their
Mainland counterparts to deter illegal import of poultry and birds from coming
to Hong Kong so as to guard against an increase in the risk of avian influenza
outbreak brought by poultry and birds that have not passed inspection and
quarantine.
Ends/Friday, September 14, 2007
Issued at HKT 20:57
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