(CN - HK) The plight of Hong Kong butchers

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South China Morning Post

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Mainland guarantees minimum pig supply

by Agnes Lam

Jan 18, 2008

 

Mainland authorities guaranteed yesterday to supply Hong Kong with at least

4,000 live pigs a day - enough to meet demand.

But an academic warned there was little the government could do to stop

price manipulation at auctions.

 

Speaking in the Legislative Council, Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen

said the local Food and Health Bureau and the Ministry of Commerce in

Beijing had reached consensus on two measures to stabilise prices and the

supply of live pigs.

 

" The ministry has stressed they will make sure the supply of pigs to Hong

Kong will be no fewer than 4,000 a day, which is enough to meet market

demand, " he said.

 

" They will also inform the SAR government every day about the number of live

pigs supplied to the city the next day so that the government can release

information about the pig supply to the public. "

 

The mainland would supply 4,700 live pigs today, with 200 to be supplied by

local farmers.

 

Mr Tsang said he also wanted to find out what happened on Tuesday when the

wholesale price of live pigs shot up from HK$1,600 to HK$1,700 per 100

catties (60kg) to more than HK$2,000.

 

Ng Fung Hong, the city's main pig importer, said supplies were disrupted by

snow on the mainland, although this explanation was rejected by another

supplier of live pigs.

 

The Consumer Council will begin a study to better understand the market for

live pigs to see if there is any untoward activity in the trade.

 

A spokesman said: " We will also look into the auction mechanism, the

relationship between retailers and wholesalers, and how to enhance

transparency of the market. "

 

But he admitted it was not a formal investigation, as the council was not a

law enforcement body and had no authority to conduct inquiries.

 

Asked if the government would launch an investigation, the Food and Health

Bureau said it was concerned about the possibility of any unhealthy activity

in the market and price fluctuations.

 

Leo Sin Yat-ming, a marketing professor at Chinese University, said there

was little the government could do even if it uncovered price manipulation,

as Hong Kong did not have a competition law.

 

" The government and the Consumer Council can only say a certain party is

acting in an unethical way, if they find any evidence that can prove that.

There is nothing they can do as there is no law to regulate that. "

 

Ling Wai-yip, a spokesman for Fresh Meat United, which represents more than

500 live-pig dealers and pork vendors in the city, welcomed the Consumer

Council study and called for a government inquiry.

 

" Some legislators and government officials have accused us of spreading

false information about the pig supply in the hope of pushing up prices.

This is really not fair. They should investigate to find out the truth if

they cannot prove what they have said. We demand they apologise to us, " he

said.

 

A Food and Environmental Hygiene Department spokeswoman said 5,036 live pigs

were supplied yesterday, compared with 3,576 a day earlier.

 

Meanwhile, Chow Tak, the vice-chairman of the Kowloon Beef and Mutton

Merchants Association, said 45 live cattle were imported from the mainland

yesterday and the wholesale price ranged from HK$2,112 to HK$2,251. There

was no fresh beef for sale yesterday because of a lack of supply.

 

 

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Butchers battle to stay in business as prices keep rising

by Kelly Chan

Jan 18, 2008

 

Butchers have struggled to stay in business as the price of meat has shot up

over the past few months. Some have dismissed staff to cut costs.

 

Mr Chan, owner of a beef stall in the Sun Chui Estate wet market in Tai Wai

in the New Territories, said the rising prices had forced him to fire two

staff members.

 

" I can only keep on one now because the running costs are too high, " he

said.

 

Mr Chan blamed the problem on the government's lack of support for butchers.

He said he could not pass on the higher wholesale prices to his customers

because most lived on public housing estates.

 

" They would run away if the beef costs too much, " he said.

 

Mrs Lam, who runs a beef stall with her husband in the Quarry Bay municipal

market, said: " We dare not hire any staff. "

 

She complained they had only been able to buy a quarter of the meat they had

hoped to obtain on Wednesday, while noting that some butchers had been

turned away empty-handed. The shortage had affected their profits, she said,

even though they had sold what meat they had for HK$44 a catty, HK$2 more

than usual. " Luckily we have lots of customers coming and we pay a very low

rent for the stall, " Mrs Lam said.

 

Mr Kong, who has been selling beef in Marble Road, North Point, for 30

years, said he had enough meat left over from Wednesday but had dispensed

with his usual assistant yesterday.

 

" We don't have new cattle coming in, so there isn't any reason to pay the

helper HK$500 to stand here with nothing to do, " he said.

 

A butcher for 40 years, he has seen the business decline. " Thirty years ago,

there were 10 stalls on this road, but now there are only two. "

 

He said the city's sole importer of live cattle, Ng Fung Hong, was playing

tricks. " They import fewer cattle and make the buyers and shops pay more.

They have put up the price at least five times in the past few months. "

 

A man selling pork echoed Mr Kong's complaint. A Mr Tam, who works for a

butcher in the Java Road municipal market in North Point, was upset with Ng

Fung Hong as well.

 

" After Ng Fung Hong adopted an auction for selling pigs, the cost per catty

rose from HK$12.50 to HK$34. I truly doubt if my boss can earn anything

after paying my salary and the running costs. I don't know what the

government is doing. I just can't see a future for our industry, " he said.