Quarantined Chicken Supplies Sufficient for Tet
Safe chickens will be plentiful for the forthcoming Tet holiday, giving local consumers in Vietnam a chance to enjoy delicious traditional dishes again after a long break due to the bird flu pandemic.
The number of safe poultry for sale will considerably increase as the vaccination campaign for around 240 million fowls in Vietnam is scheduled for completion in the next few days, according to director of Veterinary Department, Bui Quang Anh.
“Chicken will be inoculated for the second time 14 days before being sold,” Anh said, adding that more safe poultry meat shops will be opened to meet increased demand during the time.
To have enough safe chickens for Tet, the Prime Minister has assigned the Trade Ministry to buy poultry for concentrated slaughterhouses.
However, the director has also raised concerns over the situation that the number of H5N1 infectors may increase after the holiday as hygiene and safety requirements for poultry meat do not work properly.
Bird flu began ravaging poultry farms across Vietnam in late 2003, culling out around 66 million fowls, causing a sharp reduction in poultry meat supply over the time.
Since early October 2005, the virus returned to as many as 22 cities and provinces in Vietnam out of a total 65, the department reported
By the end of December 26, six announced they had completely got rid of it while 11 others are preparing to be declared bird flu free after not seeing outbreaks for more than 21 days, the duration for an infected locality to be declared free from the disease.
Vietnam Economic Times, VNS
Vietnamese
