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The Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food, Dr York Chow, today (April 12) met representatives from the live poultry trade to explain the Government's proposal to build a poultry slaughtering plant in Sheung Shui.
Dr Chow also briefed members of the LegCo Panel on Food Safety and Environmental Hygiene at a panel meeting over the proposal.
Dr Chow said at the meeting with the poultry trade that there was a need for the Government to set up a plant putting together poultry slaughtering activities as soon as possible in a bid to achieve the policy objective of separating live poultry from humans as a means to preventing human infection of avian influenza.
He pointed out that some recent studies had shown that chickens might have the possibility of contracting H5N1 virus without developing any symptoms, adding that such findings were different from the scientific grounds reached a few years ago. This explained why the Government considered that poultry slaughtering activities should no longer be scattered in the retail stalls in the various districts in Hong Kong.
Dr Chow said the building of a poultry slaughtering plant could reduce the risk of an avian influenza outbreak in Hong Kong and allow people to continue to enjoy quality chicken meat.
"In the face of the global threat posed by avian influenza, the Government has the responsibility to adopt proper preventive measures to protect public health.
"If we do not change the current mode of operation for live chicken sale to allow the trade to have an opportunity to transform their business, the trade will be more hard hit if an avian influenza outbreak occurs leading to a ban on retail sale of live chickens in Hong Kong," he said.
Dr Chow understood that the Government's proposal might have certain impact on the mode of operation of the trade and that traders might have to make some adjustments or even changes. But this would also give rise to some new business opportunities, e.g. live poultry wholesalers might switch to operate as buyers; transporters might opt to change their business to transporting chilled and frozen chickens; and retailers might switch to sell chilled or frozen poultry.
A voluntary licence surrender scheme was set up for those who opted to cease operation permanently, including poultry farmers, wholesalers, retailers and transporters.
Dr Chow hoped that the trade, Legislative Council, District Council would understand that the development of a poultry slaughtering plant would be beneficial to society as a whole. Local poultry farmers could make efforts to build up Hong Kong brand name and sell their poultry to the slaughtering plant for local supply. Then, Hong Kong would not solely depend on supply from other places.
In addition, Dr Chow told the trade representatives that the Government had been maintaining close liaison to strive for an early resumption of day-old chicks supply to Hong Kong. The Administration had fielded staff to discuss with the Guangdong Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau early this week. Both sides aimed for the resumption of day-old chicks supply to Hong Kong before the end of April. The Guangdong side agreed to take concerted action in this regard.
The Government had stated clearly that upon the resumption of live poultry imports from Guangdong on March 26, the supply of day-old chicks to Hong Kong could also be resumed at any time, he added.
Legislators Mr Vincent Fang and Mr Wong Yung-kan also attended the meeting. Trade representatives included the New Territories Chicken Breeders Association Limited, Hong Kong Poultry Wholesalers Association, Kowloon Poultry Laan Merchants Association, Cheung Sha Wan Poultry United Wholesalers Association Limited, Fresh Poultry Wholesaler Association, Kowloon Poultry Transporter and Poulterer Association, Hong Kong Poultry Wholesalers and Retailers Association, and Hong Kong and Kowloon Poultry Dealers and Workers Association.
Ends/Wednesday, April 12, 2006
Issued at HKT 16:25
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