Press Releases

Chicken supply for Chinese New Year is normal
Friday, January 19, 2001

In response to media enquiries, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) said today (January 19) that there would be no disruption to live chicken supply for the coming Chinese New Year.

A spokesman for AFCD said that about 240,000 imported chickens from Mainland China and some 20,000 local chickens were transported to the Cheung Sha Wan Temporary Wholesale Poultry Market today. The Department would continue to monitor closely the operation of the wholesale market to ensure that there is no disruption to chicken supply.

The spokesman added that two poultry associations in the Cheung Sha Wan Temporary Wholesale Poultry Market have reached an agreement early this (January 19) morning to share use of chicken cages for transport of some 260,000 chickens to retail outlets and the catering sector before their normal rest day starting the first day of the Chinese New Year.

AFCD found during the last few days that the number of chicken cages returned to the Wholesale Poultry Market was significantly less than normal. It had immediately met with the Cheung Sha Wan Poultry United Wholesalers Association Limited and the newly-registered Hong Kong Poultry Wholesales Association to work out an arrangement to ensure that there are adequate cages to transport chickens to retail markets and users.

The arrangement reached today was that chicken wholesalers and transport traders would bring the chicken cages at retail markets, farms or other places back to the Cheung Sha Wan Temporary Wholesale Poultry Market to meet the increasing demand for holding chickens with the coming of the Chinese New Year, the spokesman said.

"More than 40,000 chicken cages are now available for wholesalers.

"We have also agreed to allocate a premises for the newly-registered association to ensure cages are cleaned up to the standard required," the spokesman said.

He observed that more chickens have arrived at the Wholesale Poultry Market today and the operation of the wholesale market is normal.