May 12, 2006

Vietnam, US discuss reforms for live poultry markets

Vietnamese and US agriculture officials recently met at a workshop in Hanoi to discuss long-term control measures to curb the spread of bird flu in live poultry  markets.

At the workshop, Hanoi's Food and Agriculture Organization representative Jeffrey Gibert and Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development Deputy Minister Bui Ba Bong said un-controlled poultry slaughter and sales were the main reasons for the spread of bird flu.

They also urged Vietnamese to change their practice of consuming live poultry.

Workshop participants suggested ways to facilitate a change in current practices of live poultry traders and consumers. These included detailed measures on veterinary and market administration, as well as public education on bird flu and safety practices for poultry products.

Vietnam has culled about 50 million poultry and incurred huge economic losses due to bird flu over the past three years. The deadly H5N1 bird flu virus has claimed the lives of dozens of Vietnamese citizens so far.