Sports/Olympics / Weekly Roundup
Bird flu threat ruffling shuttlecock feathers
(China Daily)
Updated: 2006-03-15 06:22
"We have had to increase the price, and that's due to processes that have
had to be put into manufacturing to make sure that the feathers are
okay," said one Yonex spokesman. "It has made the process more
complicated."
The price increases are yet to have their full impact on badminton clubs,
who tend to buy their shuttlecocks in bulk at the beginning of the season.
"It will hit clubs with a bigger bill at the beginning of next season,"
said Eric Brown, chief executive of Badminton England. "Most clubs order
their shuttles around July and August. It will start to hit them then."
Feather farmers
The majority of shuttlecocks are produced in China's factories which
either cut and clean the feathers themselves or buy feathers prepared by
feather farmers.
Changing dietary habits in China have also contributed to the growing
shortages of goose feathers.
"Chinese people nowadays are tending to move away from eating goose to
eating duck, and that has affected the farming of goose feathers," Little
of Yehlex said.
Natural problems such as droughts and floods in various parts of China
over the last few years have also led to a shortage of birds.
Increased labour costs and a growing internal market for shuttlecocks in
China have added strain to prices.
"China has also started consuming shuttles now... so this has put a new
pressure on the supply of feathers," said a Yonex spokesman. "A whole new
market has opened up, as the Chinese start to consume their own products
as opposed to just exporting."
The International Badminton Federation said they were encouraging
research into developing more advanced plastic copies resembling the
feather shuttlecocks, which could be used in the event of a serious
shortage.
"We're trying to move towards plastic shuttlecocks," a spokeswoman for
the federation in Kuala Lumpur said. "We're hoping to find an alternative
as soon as possible."
Page: 1 2
Most Commented/Read Stories in 48 Hours
Today's Top News
� Australia, US, Japan praise China for Asia engagement
� 'China doing its best on flexible yuan'
� Threat of bird flu outbreaks reduced
� Milosevic buried after farewell
Top Sport News
� Yao Ming validates his all-star accolades
� Dementieva stuns Henin to set up Sharapova clash
� Artest returns to Indiana in a defeat
Learning Materials, Mandarin audio lessons, Chinese writing lessons, Chinese vocabulary lists, About chinese characters, News in Chinese, Go to China, Travel to China, Study in China, Teach in China, Dictionaries, Learn Chinese Painting, Your name in Chinese, Chinese calligraphy, Chinese songs, Chinese proverbs, Chinese poetry, Chinese tattoo, Beijing 2008 Olympics, Mandarin Phrasebook, Chinese editor, Pinyin editor, China Travel, Travel to Beijing, Travel to Tibet
No comments:
Post a Comment