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The Health, Welfare and Food Bureau announced today (April 25) that live chicken imports from the Mainland would be temporarily increased to 50,000 per day for the three days preceding Tuen Ng Festival from May 28 to 30 to meet expected surging demand.
A spokesman for the bureau said the decision was made after assessing the relevant risk in the light of the prevailing threat of an avian influenza outbreak and communicating with the relevant Mainland authorities.
"The Government had taken into consideration the supply and demand situation around the Tuen Ng Festival last year in coming up with the imported figure this year. The number of chickens to be imported on the day of Tuen Ng Festival (May 31) will be resumed to 20,000.
"As before, the present arrangement was made only after securing the commitment by the trade that public health conditions would be strictly observed and that there would be no overstocking of live chickens in the retail outlets during the three-day period. The Government would closely monitor the situation," the spokesman said.
Besides, the supply of day-old chicks from Guangdong to Hong Kong would be resumed on Friday (April 28) after the Government's confirmation with the Guangdong Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau.
The Government has also decided to freeze the rental of Cheung Sha Wan Temporary Wholesale Poultry Market at the level of 2005-06. Those who paid the new rental will be refunded.
At a meeting in the morning, the above measures were also revealed to the representatives of the live poultry wholesalers by the acting Deputy Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food, Mr Vincent Liu.
At the meeting, Mr Liu listened to the traders' requests including the removal of the ceiling on the number of live chickens imported from the Mainland and their reservation over the Government's plan to build a poultry processing plant.
While noting their concerns, Mr Liu had explained to them that the Government could not allow an unlimited importation of live chickens in view of the risks posed by avian influenza.
He said while the poultry processing plant project might have an impact on the mode of operation of the trade, it would also provide some new business opportunities to members of the trade, including the wholesale sector.
"We hope the traders could understand and continue to support our various measures to prevent avian influenza, and not to resort to any drastic actions to avoid causing inconvenience to the public.
"The Government would continue to maintain dialogue with the poultry trade and heed their views in formulating policies which might have an impact on them," Mr Liu said.
Ends/Tuesday, April 25, 2006
Issued at HKT 17:21
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