Reported 2019-11-20, Taipei Taiwan
Taipei Mayor Ke Wenzhe maintains that market management should be modernized. Poultry are slaughtered at the place of production and then transported in the cold chain. Instead of transporting live birds to Taipei, it is neither humane nor cost-effective. The COA agrees. The COA said that this issue has been discussed in the past, but no resolution has been made. If Taipei decides to do so, the COA will provide assistance.
Li Yiqian, head of the poultry production section of the Animal Husbandry Department of the Agricultural Committee, said that poultry were slaughtered at the place of production and then transported to the place of consumption for sale, mainly for safety and environmental hygiene. Because live birds are transported long distances from the place of production to the northern consumer, there will also be losses in the process; if they can be slaughtered at the place of production, they will have a positive effect on safety and reduction of losses. Li Yiqian said that in order to change, Beishi needs a refrigerated carcass trading platform. Poultry meat slaughtered at the place of origin must be sent to this refrigerated or frozen inventory before being traded. In response to industry concerns, consumers cannot recognize whether the chicken was bought, warm chicken that was slaughtered in the early morning of the day, or chicken that was frozen for a while and then thawed. Li Yiqian said that the same is true of chicken sold in traditional markets. The date of slaughter is provided, and consumers cannot determine when it was slaughtered, so it is not a problem.
Li Yiqian said that the poultry slaughtered in the production place and then transported to the consumption place, the biggest impact is the transport operators and distributors, which has no impact on chicken farmers. Li Yiqian said that in the past, live chickens were transported to the north for slaughter. After switching to cold chain transportation, transport operators need to improve their equipment and dealers need to transform.