A batch of 2,000 live chickens from a company in Shenzhen was shipped to Hong Kong Tuesday, marking the resumption of live poultry shipments from the mainland. The shipments have been banned since the bird flu outbreak.

The birds from south China's Guangdong Province were the first to be sent to Hong Kong in 80 days.

A total of 6,000 live chickens were offered to Hong Kong by the mainland Tuesday, according to the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (GAQSIQ), following Hong Kong's announcement last Thursday it would resume imports for three days on a trial basis.

No new bird flu cases have been found on the mainland since the country gave an all-clear to the last two affected areas on March 16.

But Jia Youling, chief veterinarian and spokesman on bird flu control for the Ministry of Agriculture, efforts to prevent and control the disease must continue.

To date, 22 countries and regions have resumed, or partly resumed, importing poultry and avian products from the Chinese mainland, said an official with the animal inspection and quarantine office.

For example, 35 Chinese companies were given permission to export cooked poultry to Japan. On April 15, a Beijing company shipped 92 tons of cooked chicken to that country.

To date, however, only Hong Kong has resumed imports of live poultry.

Officials say that it will take time for bans on imports of poultry and avian products from the mainland to be fully lifted.

According to Xia Hongmin, head of GAQSIQ's department for inspection and quarantine of animals and plants, strict measures are in place to ensure Hong Kong people receive high-quality and healthy poultry.

During the three-day trial period, Hong Kong will be supplied with 6,000 live chickens each day. If all goes well, the quantity will increase according to market demand.

Ye Haiyan, general manager of the Shenzhen company that supplied 2,000 chickens on Tuesday, said that his company had been facing difficulties since Hong Kong halted imports.

During the outbreak of bird flu, nearly 9 million birds were slaughtered on the mainland. The first case in the country was confirmed in Dingdang Town, in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, on January 27.

(China Daily April 21, 2004)