(CN) Swedish TV program exposed live fowl plucking in China...

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CFDIA refuting Swedish TV coverage of live-plucking down products

People's Daily Online

February 10, 2009

 

China Feather & Down Industrial Association (CFDIA) refutes the controversial TV

reporting by Swedish TV-4, the largest commercial television channel in Sweden,

that some 50% to 80% of down products manufactured in China are stuffed with

feather plucked from live birds.

 

The documentary, “Cold Facts”, exposed to the public the brutality being echoed

by the animal rights groups calling for a halt to the cruel practice and a

boycott of down and feather products from China. Such move has resulted in the

sharp decline of Chinese-exported down products.

 

The documentary has also fueled public feelings, with criticism centered around

live-plucking water foul and animal abuse. The programme also published a black

list of companies accused of live-plucking poultry, which involved 16 Chinese

down suppliers. Among them, 13 were CFDIA members.

 

“There is no shortage of ducks and geese in China, and we don't need to amass

feather and down from live birds. Feather and down processing in China is mainly

a kind of by-product of food industry. Of all made-in-China down products, only

one to three percent are found to be stuffed with live-plucking materials, all

in line with the demands of Japanese clients,” said Yao Xiaoman, Vice

Chairperson of CFDIA on Feb, 9.

 

“The Swedish reports aired one week ago called on people in Europe to stop

buying down products, which greatly affected China's export and consumption.

Europe is China's one of the major market and raw material and finished products

from China account for 80 percent of the world's total,” noted Wilford Lieber,

President of the International Down and Feather Laboratory (IDFL).

 

“We also condemn the practice of live-plucking, but it is hard for us to remain

silent over the false reporting by TV-4. China's down industry profited a total

of 1.92 billion US dollars in 2007, and the exports included down jackets,

pillows, bedding, sleeping bags. Chinese suppliers suffered a sharp decline of

orders right after the false TV coverage, particularly at this crucial moment of

economic slowdown. I called the suppliers blacklisted by TV-4, but none of them

told me they had practiced live-plucking. It is unfair on those alleged Chinese

down manufacturers,” added Yao.

 

According to CFDIA statistics, 90 percent of down and feather are from ducks,

while the remaining ten percent from geese. In the much smaller share of geese

feather, only one to three percent could be collected through “live plucking " on

the demand of Japanese clients, which, however, accounts for merely 0.1 to 0.3

percent of the total Chinese down production.

 

Lieber said down and feather are the most environment-friendly materials used

for producing outdoor equipment, considering their advantages of light weight,

compressibility and heat retention. China has the latest techniques and

facilities for the industry.

 

Yao added that CFDIA is willing to work with Swedish TV-4 and animal protection

groups to conduct a new round of investigation into the issue, and assure all

the consumers that the down and feather products will be from reliable sources.

 

http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90778/90857/90860/6589351.html

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China feather and down producer says live-plucking report " untruthful "

www.chinaview.cn

2009-02-15

 

BEIJING, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- Chinese feather and down makers voiced their

indignation over the " untruthful " report by a Swedish media about the wide

practice of live-plucking of geese and ducks in China on Saturday, saying a very

small number of such cases should not distort the entire industry.

 

TV4, the largest commercial television channel in Sweden, has aired

allegations that 50 percent to 80 percent of the down were plucked from live

birds in China, and 90 percent of the companies admit they are doing

live-plucking.

 

" We have never conducted live-plucking, and will not do that forever, " Ni

Yijun, General Manager of the Sichuan Duying Trading Company, a down supplier of

the Swedish furniture chain IKEA, who was named by the TV show told Xinhua on

Saturday.

 

" I can tell you that 99 percent of the Chinese makers are not engaged in

that business. A very small number of such cases should not affect the whole

industry, " he said. His company was badly hit by the TV coverage as IKEA

recalled the bedding products made by the company and canceled some orders.

 

" Live-plucking is only feasible in one to three percent of the goose down

products for expensive Japanese bedding and outwear products. That means a

maximum of 0.3 percent of the total supply, " said Yao Xiaoman, vice chairman of

the China Feather and Down Industrial Association (CFDIA).

 

" Live-plucking is so costly that it is not economic to sell such products to

markets that do not explicitly demand them, " Yao said.

 

" The Swedish correspondent, posing as a foreign business man, came to me and

asked whether we do live-plucking. I thought it was better to secure this buyer

first, although we had never done that business, " said Hu Zhengnan, a factory

staff who met with the Swedish reporter in the program.

 

" Fierce competition has forced Chinese feather and down producers, hard hit

by the global financial crisis, to race for business, as they may lie to the

foreign buyers who came to them even if they do not do that business, " said Yao

Xiaoman.

 

A journalist from the station said at a press conference last week that the

" the anonymous interviews were a little improper. "

 

China produces 80 percent of the world's supply of down and feathers, of

which 90 percent are from ducks and 10 percent from geese. Industry sales hit

1.88 billion U.S. dollars last year, according to the CFDIA data.

 

The program, " Cold Facts " , called on European animal-rights supporters to

shun down and feather products.

 

" Many producers have called the association and expressed their anger,

fearing the chain reaction produced by the untruthful report would deal a heavy

blow to the exporters who have already felt the pinch of the global financial

crisis, " said Yao.

 

" We reserve the rights to bring suit against the TV4, " Ni Yijun said. He

noted live-plucking could be rooted out in China if all producers acted

unanimously under the guidance of the CFDIA. United efforts were needed to

pledge against any live-plucking and protect animal rights in China.

 

Wilford Lieber, president of the International Down and Feather Laboratory

and Institute (IDFL), a testing and research institution based in the Salt Lake

City of United States, said IDFL was working with other laboratories on ways to

determine if material had been live-plucked.

 

Editor: Yan

 

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-02/15/content_10822139.htm