As of today, 360 retail outlets have passed hygiene requirements and can sell live chickens, Deputy Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene Alice Lau said yesterday.

After a 21-day ban following the discovery of the bird flu virus at some local wet markets, imports and sales of live chicken resume today.

Lau said the 360 retailers constitute 77 percent of the 469 total in Hong Kong. The approved retailers were examined by veterinarians.

Among the 360 outlets, 248 are market stalls and the rest are fresh provision stalls.

Of the 64 public market stalls, 60 have passed hygiene check.

As at yesterday evening, checking work is still in progress for the remaining four market stalls, she said.

She said half of the total retail outlets have indicated that they will resume their business today.

Meanwhile, the new law on daily clearance of live chickens is effective starting today.

Under the new law, live chicken are banned at retail outlets between 8pm and 5am. Stall owners have to cull all unsold live chicken before 8pm and make their stalls clean.

Officers will inspect retail outlets twice a day to make sure stall owners abide by the new law, according to Lau.

She reminded stall owners that anyone violating the law will be subject to a maximum fine of HK$50,000, six months' imprisonment and license termination.Deputy Director of Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Lau Sin-pang said there were 6,700 live chickens imported from the mainland yesterday.

"The number of imports from the mainland is less than the normal 200,000 a day because we have just resumed sales of live chickens and we have to adjust the number," Alice Lau explained.

Meanwhile, 23,000 chickens from 14 local farms have been approved for selling in the retail markets today.

Lau denied that the government only allows buying and selling of chicken at wholesale markets once a day.

The trade can have their own arrangements on buying and selling of live chicken after 8am, he said.

He added that new chickens won't be mixed in with leftover chickens at the wholesale market because there will be a label for each chicken cage that states the time and origin of arrival.

Hong Kong Poultry Wholesalers and Retailers Association Vice-chairman Li Kam-yuen said the chicken retail prices today depend on the number of chickens from local farms and the mainland, and the response of retailers to buying chicken at the wholesale markets.

"If more retailers buy chicken, the retail price will be higher," he said.

He estimated that the retail price will be HK$80 for each chicken.

Asked whether retailers will sell chicken at cheap prices close to 8pm, he said it depends on the number of chicken left.

Editor: Yan