A report by the South China Morning Post said two domestic chicken production companies in Hong Kong are seeking the legal avenue to recoup the losses they reportedly incur due to the ban sanctioned by its government over infected poultry. The ban on local chicken was implemented last month to address the possibility of infected chicken reaching Chinese and global customers.
Emperor Chicken and Kamei Chicken director Regal Cheng Chin-keung said the two companies will be sending a letter to the country's Food and Health Bureau and to Secretary for Food and Health Dr Ko Wing-man last Friday. Cheng also revealed the Chinese companies' plans to lodge a complaint or a lawsuit to the state Ombudsman over the culling of local poultry and suspension of trade as it was found that the infected poultry were that from the mainland.
He stated, "The problem was not in New Territories' farms this time. The government did not do enough in safe-guarding at the border."
Moreover, Cheng was quoted to have said that it was unfair that the Hong Kong government did not provide any justly compensation in lieu of the culling on the basis that the companies were not considered, as described by the government, breeders, traders, retailers or companies in related industries.
Cheng insisted that Emperor Chicken and Kamei Chicken had worked with the University of Hong Kong in order to produce their chickens locally. Explaining the process to SCMP, he said that the chicken production involved sending young chickens to seven local farms for them to grow until they reach the preferred 90 day-old age to be sold to its clients.
According to Cheng, around 100,000 of the chickens had been collected by the local farms due to the government's three-week suspension. The companies also had to kill 25,000 chicks due to overcrowding in the farms, Cheng added.
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