By Associated Press
Montgomery, AL – Alabama Agriculture Commissioner Ron Sparks says he's worried about chickens from China. A few years ago, Chinese poultry exports were halted after 14 people died of avian influenza. Now, the federal government is about to start allowing chickens back in the U.S. and Sparks said he will closely monitor the situation.
He said he's not totally against poultry imports because quote "we live in a global market and said he expects the Chinese to compromise and open their markets to Alabama-produced beef."
Most of the chickens from China are used in Alabama in canned products like chicken salads.
Sparks said if he discovers a problem, he will ban them like he did Vietnamese catfish.
(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)