Govt shouldn't be completely blamed for chicken price hike - Hadi

 

The government should not be completely blamed for the rise in chicken prices, according to PAS.

Its president Abdul Hadi Awang said there were various factors determining the chicken prices.

“We have to look at (the factors) behind chicken getting more expensive.

“Who manipulates the price? Who controls the chicken feed and livestock?

“All parties are involved. Cannot blame the government alone,” Hadi (above) said in a response to a journalist’s question in a video clip uploaded to social media.

The decision by the government to end price control on chicken and chicken eggs, as well as subsidies for cooking oil in bottles of 2kg, 3kg and 5kg next month has triggered nationwide concern of a new wave of inflation.

The move was to ensure adequate food supply in the market and to stabilise prices in the longer term, said the Domestic Trade and Consumers Affairs Ministry in a statement on Tuesday.

Currently, the government sets the maximum retail price of chicken and eggs for Peninsular Malaysia at RM8.90 per kg for standard chicken and RM9.90 per kg for super whole chicken (slaughtered and cleaned without legs, head, liver, and gizzard).

On June 21, Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Alexander Nanta Linggi reportedly said the government expected that chicken will be sold between RM10 and RM12 per kg after the ceiling price removal.

Earlier today, the Department of Statistics (DOSM) said the consumer price index (CPI) rose 2.8 percent in May compared to the same period last year with food now costing 5.2 percent more and this was the highest increase since Nov 2011. 

“The subgroup of meat showed the highest increase of 9.5 percent in May 2022 (April 2022: 6.2 percent) due to the increase in demand during the festive season,” said DOSM.

The DOSM said chicken constituted 46.1 percent of meat consumed in the country and the price of this product had increased to RM9.70 per kg (RM8.44 in May 2021) due to the rising cost of chicken feed and increased demand. - Mkini