Zhejiang bans urban live poultry trading

Live poultry trading has been banned in urban areas of east China's Zhejiang Province for good from Tuesday to control the spread of bird flu.

Zhejiang recorded a higher number of human cases of bird flu infections than any other province in 2013.

Many live poultry markets closed when a bird flu case was found. But markets reopened at a later date.

Fearing the spread of bird flu, Zhejiang has decided to completely close all live poultry markets in urban areas.

From now on, only dead and plucked poultry can be traded in urban markets, according to the provincial government.

Agricultural authorities in Zhejiang have begun to advocate standardized poultry cultivation so meat can be traced back to its producers.

Consumers are worried they may not be able to determine whether dead poultry was healthy, whereas they can when buying live poultry.

The authorities will also develop a process where poultry can be killed and plucked by machines on a large scale.