Safe Poultry Sections Open in Central Market
VIET NAM - The US Agency for International Development (USAID) reopened upgraded poultry sections in Dong Ha Market in the central province of Quang Tri on 5 December to help control the spread of H5N1 bird flu and other infections.
9 December 2011
2 minute read
The opening of the sections is the result of a partnership between USAID's Avian and Pandemic Influenza Initiative and provincial authorities, ThanhNien News.com reports, citing the Viet Nam News Agency.
USAID provided VND900 million (US$42,800) for the VND1.1-billion project, which started in September 2011.
The project built two separate sections: one for live poultry with 14 household vendors and another for processed poultry products with seven household vendors.
Vendors in the two sections must comply with regulations on poultry slaughter and trade to reduce disease risks for poultry vendors and consumers, and to improve food safety and biosecurity.
The Avian and Pandemic Influenza Initiative was implemented in October 2009 and will last until September 2012.
The project was conducted in Can Tho City and Ha Nam, Hung Yen, Kien Giang and Quang Tri provinces and will be rolled out in other provinces.
In related news, the Department of Animal Health announced on Monday that the highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza virus was eliminated from poultry in Nghe An Province, the last locality in the country with an H5N1 outbreak.
That means Viet Nam has successfully stamped out the H5N1 virus, the department said.
