China’s southern city of Guangdong has begun a six month trail banning the sale of any live poultry in selected districts in an effort to reduce the spread of bird flu and to improve food safety. Retailers were ordered to switch to selling chilled fresh poultry sourced only from approved slaughterhouses. A statement dated April 26 declared the raising, storing, slaughtering, or selling of live poultry prohibited. Trial bans are also being implemented in the cities of Foshan and Shenzhen as the region aims to phase-out the live poultry trade and transform the domestic poultry industry. The city of Guangdong will give 7.2 million yuan (US$1.2 million) to markets and stalls to be used to install the proper equipment for the sale of chilled fresh poultry. The measures will be eventually extended to cover 70% of the Guangdong poultry trade by 2017.
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