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The Secretary for Food and Health, Dr York Chow, said today (July 25) that the Government had decided to start off the buyout package for the live poultry trade and to extend the deadline for poultry retailers to surrender their licence or permission to sell live poultry by two months to until September 24.
After the close of application last night, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department had received a total of 339 applications for ex-gratia payments. The number represented about 72.4% of the total number of retailers.
Dr Chow said: "Although the number of applications did not meet our target of 85%, we decided to start off the package after assessing the situation last night and discussion at the steering committee on avian influenza this morning.
"I understand retailers need more time to consider licence surrender. Therefore, we extended the deadline by two months to September 24. However, the date for winding up their business remains September 24."
Dr Chow added that under such circumstances, live chickens for sale at retail outlets and the chance of human contact with live poultry would be greatly reduced in the future. Coupled with the policy of no live poultry being kept overnight at retail outlets, it could alleviate the public health threat posed by avian influenza.
In addition, many retailers reflected to the Government that due to the uncertain business prospects of the live poultry trade, they would like the Government to buy them out from the live poultry market or help them switch to the chilled and frozen meat business. Having regard to these factors, the Government decided to start off the buyout package.
There will be 129 fresh provision shops and market stalls selling live poultry remaining in the market. It is expected that the total sales volume will be greatly reduced to about 11,000 to 15,000 chickens a day.
Retailers who have chosen to opt out from live poultry trade could run their business until September 24. The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department will issue letters to poultry farmers, wholesalers, transporters and affected local workers advising them to submit applications for ex-gratia payments under the buyout package.
On live chicken imports from the Mainland, the Government would assess the latest situation and discuss with Mainland authorities the number of imports to meet the market demand. In the long run, the Government could consider adjusting the number of live chicken imports from the Mainland. Dr Chow said he believed that local and Mainland chickens would each take up half of the market share.
On the policy of separating humans from live poultry, he said the Government would revisit the mode of central slaughtering with a view to speeding up the pace of separating humans from live poultry. Before putting in practice central slaughtering, the Government would maintain the policy of no live poultry being kept overnight at retail outlets.
Dr Chow stressed: "Those who chose to remain in the live poultry trade have to bear the risks of any future outbreak of avian influenza. No ex-gratia payment or financial assistance, other than statutory compensation (i.e. a maximum of $30 per bird slaughtered), will be provided to them."
Ends/Friday, July 25, 2008
Issued at HKT 20:08
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