One day after live ducks and chickens disappearing from local retail market, the city's health authority and food suppliers are discussing to join hands in keeping poultry dishes on citizen's tables through authorized, large scale purchase and processing.

The municipal government is talking with Shanghai's leading agriculture product suppliers to purchase large amount of live poultry and process them in appointed, qualified butcheries, afterwards supply safe and healthy poultry to local food market, official from the municipal government said.

The appointed food suppliers must have grand-scale producing capacity and standard process, reliable fame and complete food inspections, the official stressed.

The move aims to compensate for the lack in poultry supply and stabilize food price in local market, he added.

Currently, the city's major super and hypermarkets are also busily stocking processed poultry food to meet the demand in local market.

Poultry markets were deserted and live chickens and ducks disappeared from all local food markets in Shanghai yesterday, after the municipal government issued a decree on Sunday night, banning the sale of live poultry in the city in order to prevent the spread of bird flu virus.

(eastday.com February 4, 2004)