One fresh chichen for 300 dollars, still sought after
source: wenweipo
translated by cici@AsianEU

live chicken is most popular, although the retail price is as high as 75 dollars per catty, there is still a long queue at the chicken stalls for a long time


Regardless of the economy is smooth and rough, on the 30th before Lunar New Year, the important event of the day of Hong Kong people is still enjoying a delicious dinner with their families. Early yesterday morning, many people went to the market to buy dinner ingredients that crowds were packed at the market. They didn't care about soaring vegetables or meat prices, only cared about buying needed ingredients. Among the grocery, the most popular was live chickens. Although the retail price raised a double, higher-than-normal times, selling as high as 75 dollars per catty for a more than 3 kg chicken which costs nearly 300 dollars, there was still a long queue in front of the chicken stalls. Some people feared that their reservations of live chickens might be taken by people who got there early that they rushed to the stalls, to which even a "chicken run" once occurred.

For Chinese in New Year traditions, one must have live chicken, but because the number of imported live chickens did not increase before the eve of the Lunar New Year, thus causing live chickens wholesale and retail prices generally rose in Hong Kong. Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department said that on yesterday morning, the number of live chickens available was 35,534 in Cheung Sha Wan Temporary Wholesale Poultry Market, of which 7000 was imported live chickens from Mainland China, Hong Kong's local live chickens was 28,534, and the average wholesale price was 45.4 dollars per catty that retail prices in general had also been soaring.

The retail price of live chickens in Kowloon City Market was 75 dollars per catty yesterday, that is, a double than usual, but the price did not stop people's enthusiasm to buy chicken for a New Year meal. There was a sea of people in front of the stalls, including a customers waiting for nearly two hours before getting a fresh chicken. "Ling Jie" working the whole morning said, "although a more than 2 kg chicken costs nearly 200 dollars, but before noon, more than 200 stocks of chickens have been sold out, even 50 frozen chickens become the competiting objects for sales."

Another chicken vendors stalls with nearly 400 live chickens were all sold out by 11 o'clock yesterday morning. Mrs. Leung, the chicken stall owner said a lot of customers had reserved the chickens one weeks ago, no surprising even if they bought 3 to 5 chickens in one order, and some people didn't even check out the price. At the same time, some customers, who had reserved fresh chickens seeing fewer and fewer stocks left, rushed to the market to buy fresh chickens. Mrs. Leung used 1 thousand dollar to buy 5 live chickens, "Two for worship/praying, one for steamed chicken in New Year meal, one for soup, and the last one for the second day of New Year meal. These chickens run out fast."

Apart from soaring price of chickens, vegetables price had also slightly increased due to the cold weather. Vegetable stall owner Kiu Jie said that the popular New Year dish, "Lotus and Pig feet", of which lotus root per catty rose from 8 to 12 dollars; the "make more money" lettuce increased 1 to 2 dollars costing 6 to 7 dollars each catty yesterday. Kiu Jie said that although in economic downturn, she did not see citizens especially cutting budget in the New Year, and she expected this year's profit will be similar to last year's.

Mr. Chan, Living in Yau Yat Chuen, said he accompanied his mother particularly to the Kowloon City Market to buy grocery. They bought a fish, geoduck, shrimps, lettuce and chicken and so on, to which they spent more than 2,000 dollars. Aside from seafood, other food prices had significantly soared, of which fresh chickens was the most expensive, that buying they had spent 500 dollars buying 2 chickens. Since fresh chickens is an-A-must in Lunar New year, plus New Year meal was only one time per year, so grocery quality must be excellent, that even they would not care even if they had to pay a high price.

Mrs. Cheung made a special trip from Sha Tin to Kowloon City to buy grocery too. She spent about 500 dollars to buy grocery for New Year meal. She pointed out that this year's economic was poor, with the
exception of the essential food live chicken, other food could be as simple as possible. Last year, there were fish, shrimps and crabs, but this year she only bought a fish, coupled with lettuce and oysters, that she was content to have a family together for a hearty meal.