March 10, 2004

 

 

Vietnam Hit By Illegal Poultry Trade

 

Vietnamese market control teams found fresh chickens and eggs being sold without official quarantine stamps last Friday, the first day the municipal government's ban on poultry sales was lifted.

 

Unstamped chicken was being sold at VND45,000-60,000 per kilogram while fresh eggs went for VND2,000 each, double the price before the bird flu, which led to the confiscation of 2,800 unstamped eggs at markets around the city.

 

Poultry and eggs were still scarce on the shelves of most major stores and supermarkets around town.

 

Nguyen Ngoc Hoa, Deputy Director General of Sai Gon Co-op, the city's biggest supermarket chain, blamed this on the lack of consumer confidence in bird products, despite news that the avian influenza had been officially contained in several provinces and cities.

 

Mr Hoa said his retail chain expected to have processed chickens available for sale next week or as soon as they are supplied from sanitary abattoirs.

 

In the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta provinces, the poultry market remained at a standstill pending a Government's declaration that the region is officially free of bird flu.

 

In the two worst hit provinces, Tien Giang and Long An, local authorities have still not issued licences to resume selling poultry products.

 

In moves to help the industry, Tien Giang authorities have allowed the sale of boiled and salted eggs. Provincial veterinary workers are also helping poultry farmers maintain healthy breeding stock.

 

Director of Da Nang's Seafood and Agriculture Department, Tran Van Huy said the central coast city was ready to market poultry, with all products requiring seals and stamps from veterinary workers.

 

He said poultry sales will begin this Wednesday, when the city expects to get its poultry selling licence and be declared free of bird flu.

 

Chairman of the HCM City People's Committee, Le Thanh Hai, said stringent control measures were to protect public health and avoid a recurrence of the avian flu epidemic.

 

Mr Hai said regulations on the sale, transport and consumption of poultry products will be eased when conditions permit, once the bird flu is fully contained, so people should feel safe to eat bird meat.