New abattoir law worries many in the poultry industry

"It is very clear that bureaucrats are not cooks."

Chen De-shiow, poultry vendor

Poultry farmers and vendors concerned about an impending ban on killing chickens outside of licensed abattoirs packed a public hearing on the issue yesterday at the legislature.

The law, passed amid fears of a bird-flu epidemic, is scheduled to take effect on April 1. For now, live chickens packed in stacked cages awaiting buyers can still be seen in traditional markets nationwide.

At the public hearing, organized by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Ting Shou-chung (丁守中), farmers and vendors said that enactment of the law should be postponed. They said the poultry industry was not ready to shift to centralized abattoirs and that their livelihoods were at stake.

"Everybody agrees with the government's broader direction in the long run," Ting said. "However, we have to make sure that we do not destroy people's livelihoods along the way."

Others said the law should be rescinded altogether.

"Taiwan is not a bird flu country," said Hsu Shi-yuan (徐西原), director of the Taipei City Poultry Vendor's Association. "Why are we enacting regulations that are more extreme than those in countries where there have been cases of bird flu?"

The ban, which would cover both traditional markets and speciality restaurants, tramples on the livelihoods of poultry sellers and farmer and deprives consumers of choice, Hsu said.

Officials from several ministries and agencies attended the hearing. Most struck a conciliatory tone, stressing that the ban would not be enacted before the industry is ready for the change and pointing out that the ban could help protect the poultry industry in the event of a bird flu outbreak.

"If bird flu comes to Taiwan before the upgrades are made to poultry safety, the poultry industry is going to be hardest hit," Center of Disease Control Director Steve Kuo (郭旭崧) said.

"It is very clear that bureaucrats are not cooks," said Chen De-shiow (陳德修), a poultry vendor for 15 years at a traditional market in Taipei.

"Customers are discerning," Chen said, and are willing to pay a premium price for fresh chicken that has never seen the inside of a refrigerator.

"As soon as I put something in the fridge, my customers don't want to touch it," Chen said. "There is a definite difference in taste and texture."