PETALING JAYA: Retail tycoon Ameer Ali Mydin has called for a ban on export of chickens as a supply shortage threatens to push up prices of the popular food.
Ameer, who owns Mydin hypermarkets, said there had been a 50% drop in the supply of chickens to his stores.
“The chickens are sold out by afternoon at our hypermarkets,” he told FMT.
“This shortage has likely contributed to the RM3 increase in prices in just one month, from RM6 per kg to RM9 per kg.”
Ameer also referred to reports that the price of chicken has shot up from RM7.70 to RM10 per kg in Johor Bahru.
A daily recently quoted a seller as saying that most chickens were exported to Vietnam which is facing a shortage due to the outbreak of the H5N1 bird flu.
Ameer said the situation in East Malaysia was also bad, where chicken prices have increased.
“But the government allows the exports which caused a drop in supply, It is the people who suffer. Despite our supposed shortage, Malaysia is still exporting chickens to Vietnam.”
Ameer repeated his call for the government to do away with approved permits in the chicken trade.
“Why is it not doing anything to address the issue head on?” he asked.
He said the relevant ministries did not learn anything from the recent hike in egg prices.
Last month, Ameer urged the government to stop the export of eggs to Singapore.
Putrajaya had then said it was studying a temporary ban on export of eggs.
Ameer meanwhile said the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim), which issues halal certification, must address the chicken shortage by certifying more foreign markets as halal.
FMT’s attempts to reach the Federation of Livestock Farmers’ Associations of Malaysia for comment were unsuccessful.
FMT is also awaiting a response from the domestic trade and consumer affairs ministry. -FMT
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