The Food & Health Bureau has called on live poultry traders to stay calm, adding drastic action will not help resolve their concerns. The bureau was responding to today's protest by live poultry traders outside Murray Building in Central against the Government's quota on the daily supply of live chickens.

At the end of the buyout scheme for the live poultry trade on September 24, only 131 retailers decided to remain in business. There was also an overnight stocking of several thousand live chickens on average on the wholesale market in the past three months.

The supply of live chickens was set at around 10,000 daily from September 25 in accordance with the projected retail capacity. It is believed the current daily supply of live chickens can meet market demand.

The supply of chilled and frozen chickens is also sufficient, the bureau added.