The Hong Kong government expects to resume poultry import from
neighboring
Guangdong Province next week after evaluating the development
of avian influenza in the area, the health department said
Monday.
Carrie Yau, permanent secretary for health, welfare and food,
who visited Guangdong Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine
Bureau,said they decided to resume the import of live poultry
supply from Guangdong since no outbreak of avian influenza and no
new human case have been found in the province.
Hong Kong has stopped its live poultry import from Guangdong
since a human case of bird flu was confirmed in the province in
late February.
"We plan to set March 26 as our target date for the resumption
of live poultry imports from Guangdong to Hong Kong and on March 27
to resume the sale of live poultry imports in our markets," said
Carrie Yau after discussion with his Guangdong counterparts.
The quantity of live chicken imports from Guangdong would be
20,000 per day, one third less than before. The two sides agreed to
review the arrangement in mid-April.
(Xinhua News Agency March 21, 2006)
