A dataset of a proxy variable for the poultry trade flows in China

Understanding the intercity poultry trading network is crucial for assessing the risk of avian influenza prevalence. Unfortunately, the poultry trading network in China has rarely been described. Here, with a modified radiation model, we obtain values for a proxy variable for poultry trade flows among 318 prefecture-level cities in China in 2015 utilizing the product capacity and demand quantity of poultry of the cities. The results are validated by comparing the proxy variable values with the trade volumes investigated in the literature, and it is found that the modified radiation model can accurately predict the main poultry trade flows among cities. This is the first dataset on China’s poultry trade pattern, and it can be used to analyze the production and consumption structure of poultry in prefecture-level cities within China. The dataset can be a tool for avian influenza epidemic risk assessment as well as a basis to develop prevention and control measures during an epidemic.