Kuala Lumpur – As Hari Raya nears, traders say poultry prices will rise due to the higher cost of chicken feed as well as increased demand for chicken amid low supply, The Star reported today.
Perak poultry association chairman Datuk Ding Thong Chow told the English-language daily that the price of chicken had increased to RM5 a kg from RM4.80.
Perak supplies 20% of the national poultry production.
Ding said there had been a shortage of poultry supply even before Ramadan, but demand for chicken remained high during the fasting month.
He added that the chickens were also experiencing stunted growth.
“Usually after 38 days, a chicken weighs about 2.5kg and is ready for slaughter but now it only weighs about 2kg at that stage. It’s taking longer for chickens to grow.
“We think this is due to the poor quality of dried maize imported from Argentina. There is a workers’ strike so, shipments have been delayed,” he was quoted as saying.
In Johor, poultry dealers said the price of chicken feed was increasing, forcing them to pass on the extra cost to customers, The Star reported.
They blamed the higher price on the strengthening US dollar.
“We do not set these rates but we have to increase prices in order to make a minimal profit,” a trader at the Larkin wet market was quoted as saying.
Pasar Kampung Melayu trader Faaiz A. Rahman, 29, said the price of chicken would go up to RM7.50 from its current price of RM6.40 a kg, until the government implemented a price control mechanism for Hari Raya.
In Petaling Jaya, an Indian Muslim restaurant chain owner told The Star that chicken prices had been high over the past two months.
“We get a daily SMS from the supplier telling us what the price is. Some days, it goes up by 60 sen and 70 sen. If it drops, it’s only by 10 sen and 20 sen.
“Suppliers are saying there is not enough stock,” he was quoted as saying.
However, Federation of Livestock Farmers’ Associations of Malaysia president Jeffrey Ng denied the traders’ claim that there was a shortage of supply.
“As of now, there should not be any problem in supply for Hari Raya,” he was quoted as saying.
Ng added that the price of chicken feed was not the highest within the past two years.
Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Minister Datuk Seri Hasan Malek echoed his statement.
“Livestock farmers have assured us that there will be ample supply, so traders cannot give excuses,” he was quoted as saying.
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