The 95 new poultry farms, to cover an area of 115,000 square meters, will be based on a model where companies work with production bases and farmers, according to the Liuzhou animal husbandry-veterinary and fishery bureau. Farmers will sign deals with companies and sell them meat directly.

The local government launched the move to better equip Liuzhou poultry companies in handling business risks.

Liuzhou’s poultry industry has been hit hard by the new bird flu virus, known as H7N9, since April. The flu is transmitted to humans from chickens. As the death toll increases, there have been growing concerns over public health and food safety, leading to a dip in sales in the poultry business.