Hong Kong's local farms to send chickens to wholesale market

Arrangements will be made on July 1 to facilitate local farms sending chickens to the wholesale market, a spokesman for the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) said on Monday.

Supply of live chickens in retail outlets will resume on July 2. Following the thorough cleaning in the wholesale market, local farmers will be allowed to send their chickens to the wholesale market on July 1 night.

AFCD staff have been collecting samples and conducting tests for the chickens in local farms to make sure that those sent to the wholesale markets are free from H5 avian influenza infection, he said.

The wholesale market has already been thoroughly cleaned and disinfected. Trading at the wholesale market will resume early Wednesday morning.

The AFCD will continue to inspect local chicken farms to ensure that all the required bio-security measures are in place. The department will also tightly monitor precautionary measures at the wholesale market against avian influenza, including cleaning and disinfection.

We will remain vigilant in our surveillance of avian influenza in the local chicken farms, the spokesman said.