21-day ban ends today but only a fifth of vendors to resume sales
As few as about one-fifth of the city's live-chicken stalls are prepared to reopen for business today, when the 21-day ban on the import and sale of live poultry expires.
Many poultry traders and hawkers said that before deciding whether to get back into the business or surrender their licences, they would wait to see how tighter hygiene measures worked.
Wong Wai-chuen, chairman of the Poultry Wholesalers and Retailers Association, said about 100 of the 469 chicken retailers were expected to resume business today, while the government's estimate is about 180.
These retailers are mainly in markets in urban areas like Wan Chai, Sham Shui Po, Tsuen Wan and Wong Tai Sin, according to the association. Mr Wong said they would cut their orders from wholesalers by two-thirds to assess the market response.
'It is not a boycott or anything,' he said. 'But we want to see the market response first. We cannot be too careful because unsold chickens need to be culled and we do not want to lose money.'