# 2882
The plot thickens.
Earlier today, I carried a story from the Beijing Times that stated that the Minister of Agriculture was planning to close all live poultry markets in large and medium-sized cities across China.
Now, we get an `official denial'.
MOA denies reports of closing live poultry markets nationwide
www.chinaview.cn 2009-03-10 23:35:30
BEIJING, March 10 (Xinhua) --
China's Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) on Tuesday denied a report by the local newspaper Beijing Times that said all live poultry markets in large and medium-sized cities would be closed this year.
The newspaper said Monday that the ministry planned to close all live poultry markets in large and medium-sized cities this year, citing an unnamed MOA official.
The report was then carried by some major Web sites including the People's Daily website.
The ministry said the reports were not true.
No officials from the ministry made that statement on Monday and the ministry is notable to make such a decision unilaterally because market supervision involves several departments.
The ministry reiterated that it had made careful plans on prevention of all kinds of serious animal-related epidemics.
So far, there has been no major bird flu epidemics in the country.
Editor: Yan
A hat tip to Florida1 on Flutrackers for sending me this link.
