Press Releases

AFCD destroys all chickens at a local farm
Sunday, February 3, 2002

The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) has finished destroying all chickens at a local farm. A decision was made earlier to depopulate the chicken farm after a large number of chickens was found dead.

"Some 100,000 chickens were slaughtered in these two days. AFCD will continue to conduct cleaning and disinfection work at the farm and the whole operation is expected to be completed tomorrow," Deputy Director of Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Dr Liu Kwei-kin said today (February 3).

Dr Liu stressed that AFCD has stepped up inspection at Cheung Sha Wan Temporary Wholesale Poultry Market and other local chicken farms. There has been no unusual mortality in these places.

Meanwhile, in a surveillance operation at 6 am today the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) found 29 dead chickens at a stall in Tsuen Wan Market. The department sent the dead chickens to AFCD for testing.

No symptoms of illness or anything unusual were found in chickens on sale at some 10 other chicken stalls in the same market.

"While the cause of death of the chickens in Tsuen Wan Market is being investigated, FEHD, as a preventive measure, destroyed all the remaining 300 or so chickens in the stall. The owner has also agreed to suspend business for 24 hours to facilitate thorough cleansing and disinfection of his stall.

"Our investigation found that the owner of this stall had ordered chickens from the above local farm with high mortality rate," Dr Liu said.

FEHD staff had inspected chicken stalls in other retail markets and so far no unusual mortality rate in chickens was found.

"Both AFCD and FEHD would continue to stay on high alert and would keep a close watch on the health condition of chickens in all local chicken farms, wholesale market and retail markets," Dr Liu said.

He appealed to all chicken farm owners, wholesalers of live chickens, and operators of poultry stalls and shops to inform AFCD, FEHD or the Police about any chicken mortality or the discovery of illness in chickens so that adequate follow-up actions could be taken to prevent the occurrence or spread of disease.