The Hong Kong government yesterday criticized a meat sellers strike that will see fresh beef supplies to the territory halted in the latest battle over the sensitive issue of food supply from the mainland.
Beef dealers have called the three day strike after complaining of unfair price rises and irregular supply from China's monopoly trader of live cattle Ng Fung Hong, the Sunday Morning Post reported.
The Food and Health Bureau criticized the move, saying the average number of cattle supplied at the start of this month was very similar to last month.
"We do not agree with dealers' move to express their demands through radical actions and hope they would fully take public interest into consideration," the bureau said in a statement.
It said it would continue to monitor the situation.
The slaughterhouse where the strike has been called is the only route for Ng Fung Hong to get its meat to beef sellers and prices were raised more than 10 percent two weeks ago, the Post said.
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