December 20, 2005

China supports trade of healthy poultry

China's government still supports trade of healthy poultry, despite the country's recent bird flu outbreaks. The central government has urged provincial authorities to support the trade of healthy poultry to ensure the sector's survival.

Over 20 million birds have been culled in regions affected by the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of bird flu. Poultry exports have also been temporarily banned in quarantined regions.

However, some provincial authorities also restricted "the normal circulation of qualified poultry and poultry products," the central government said.

Although China's political system remains tightly centralised, provincial authorities have been gaining more economic autonomy since market-oriented reforms started two decades ago.

Meanwhile, China's chief veterinarian Jia Youling has warned that new bird flu outbreaks might occur during the Lunar New Year holiday in January, when poultry deliveries increase.