As more bird flu cases were spotted across China, the Ministry
of Commerce, the State Administration for Industry and Commerce and
the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and
Quarantine have intensified poultry market surveillance while at
the same time ensuring meat supply.
In addition to a daily report on market demand of daily
necessities of the country's 36 major cities, the commercial
departments of the provinces and regions where bird flu cases were
found have intensified the surveillance of the local supermarkets
and community marketplaces to maintain market stability.
Avian product export from Guangxi,
Hunan
and Hubei,
where bird flu cases have been found, has been suspended by the
local quality supervision, inspection and quarantine organizations.
And all the poultry processing factories within the bird flu
affected-regions have been closed down.
Poultry markets in bird flu-affected areas have also been closed
down by local industry and commercial administrative organizations,
and market patrol has been stepped up in the transition areas
between bird flu-affected and unaffected areas.
All poultry markets in bird flu-hit area ordered to
close down
The State Administration for Industry and Commerce on Saturday
issued a notice, urging the closing of poultry markets and the
banning of poultry trade in the bird flu-affected area in south
China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region where the country's first
bird flu case was spotted.
The notice requires its subordinate body in Guangxi region to
strictly crack down on illegal poultry trade in the bird flu-hit
areas and intensify the market patrol at the juncture areas between
virus-hit areas and virus-unaffected areas in an effort to prevent
and control the bird flu virus from spreading.
The notice also urged the closing of poultry markets whose
sanitation conditions are poor in bird flu-unaffected areas.
If any suspected bird flu cases were spotted in markets, they
must be reported to local governments and the State Administration
for Industry and Commerce, said the notice.
(Xinhua News Agency February 1, 2004)