Former poultry trade leader opens pork shop
A former poultry trade leader who surrendered his licence to sell live chickens in July is back in business - selling pork.
Steven Wong Wai-chuen, former chairman of the Poultry Wholesalers and Retailers Association and a chicken vendor for more than 20 years, has not entirely abandoned the poultry trade. One can also buy chicken at the chilled-meat shop he opened in North Point yesterday.
Mr Wong, a public face of the trade during negotiations with the government over its buy-out of chicken licences, says chilled pork is still far more popular than chilled chicken.
'People are still not used to the taste of chilled chickens,' he said. 'Also, pork is relatively cheaper.'
But he would not give up selling chilled chickens, as he expected more people to buy them as live ones disappeared from the market.
'Customers grumble a little about not having live chickens, but I told them to get used to it,' he said.
Mr Wong said he enjoyed being back in business.
'I met many old friends and neighbours. It's like coming home,' he said.
Looking back, he said his decision to surrender his live-chicken retail licence to the government for about HK$3 million in compensation had been a 'very wise choice'.
'You can't do chicken for life,' he said. 'Now I have money to hire two butchers to help out on the pork side.' He had no helpers to run his chicken stall, so life then was busier.
Friends and customers attended the opening ceremony yesterday, and about 50 sent flower baskets, including legislative councillors Vincent Fang Kang and Tommy Cheung Yu-yan.
About 72 per cent of live chicken retailers turned in their licences for compensation by the September deadline.
The government's buyout scheme was the first step in a HK$1.23 billion plan to buy back all chicken-trade licences to reduce the risk of bird flu.
