A batch of 2,000 live chickens from a company in Shenzhen was
shipped to Hong Kong Tuesday, marking the resumption of live
poultry shipments from the mainland. The shipments have been banned
since the bird flu outbreak.
The birds from south China's Guangdong
Province were the first to be sent to Hong Kong in 80 days.
A total of 6,000 live chickens were offered to Hong Kong by the
mainland Tuesday, according to the General Administration of
Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (GAQSIQ), following
Hong Kong's announcement last Thursday it would resume imports for
three days on a trial basis.
No new bird flu cases have been found on the mainland since the
country gave an all-clear to the last two affected areas on March
16.
But Jia Youling, chief veterinarian and spokesman on bird flu
control for the Ministry of Agriculture, efforts to prevent and
control the disease must continue.
To date, 22 countries and regions have resumed, or partly
resumed, importing poultry and avian products from the Chinese
mainland, said an official with the animal inspection and
quarantine office.
For example, 35 Chinese companies were given permission to
export cooked poultry to Japan. On April 15, a Beijing company
shipped 92 tons of cooked chicken to that country.
To date, however, only Hong Kong has resumed imports of live
poultry.
Officials say that it will take time for bans on imports of
poultry and avian products from the mainland to be fully
lifted.
According to Xia Hongmin, head of GAQSIQ's department for
inspection and quarantine of animals and plants, strict measures
are in place to ensure Hong Kong people receive high-quality and
healthy poultry.
During the three-day trial period, Hong Kong will be supplied
with 6,000 live chickens each day. If all goes well, the quantity
will increase according to market demand.
Ye Haiyan, general manager of the Shenzhen company that supplied
2,000 chickens on Tuesday, said that his company had been facing
difficulties since Hong Kong halted imports.
During the outbreak of bird flu, nearly 9 million birds were
slaughtered on the mainland. The first case in the country was
confirmed in Dingdang Town, in south China's Guangxi
Zhuang Autonomous Region, on January 27.
(China Daily April 21, 2004)