The Hong Kong government expects to resume poultry import from neighboring Guangdong Province next week after evaluating the development of avian?flu in the area, the health department said Monday.

Carrie Yau, permanent secretary for health, welfare and food, who visited Guangdong Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau, said it had been decided to resume the import of live poultry from Guangdong since no outbreak of avian flu and no new human cases had been discovered in the province.

Hong Kong stopped its live poultry imports from Guangdong when a human case of bird flu was confirmed in the province in late February.

"We plan to set March 26 as our target date for the resumption of live poultry imports from Guangdong to Hong Kong and on March 27 to resume the sale of live poultry imports in our markets," said Carrie Yau after discussion with his Guangdong counterparts.

The quantity of live chicken imports from Guangdong would be 20,000 per dya--a third less than before. The two sides agreed to review the arrangement in mid-April.

(Xinhua News Agency March 21, 2006)