December 14, 2006

Vietnam worries about unsafe poultry sent to Hanoi 

Of the 180 tonnes of poultry sold in the inner city of Hanoi everyday only 10 percent of it has been quarantined, according to The Hanoi Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Local farms around Hanoi can meet 8-30 percent of the demand for meat. Thus, the majority of the poultry meat in Hanoi is from other provinces.

There are now eight operational quarantine stations responsible for inspecting the food brought into the inner city, but they are unable to control all consignments of products.

Hanoi agencies have acknowledged that there is a high risk of the spreading of cattle and poultry diseases.

Last year, bird flu was found in 22 provinces and cities, and Vietnam culled 3.6 million units of poultry.

The Hanoi Department for Agriculture and Rural Development has urged neighbouring local authorities to closely cooperate with Hanoi to prevent unsafe food from being sold.