GEORGE TOWN: The ceiling price of RM9.40 per kg for standard chicken in Peninsular Malaysia is too high for those in the lower-income group, said the Consumers Association of Penang.
Its education officer, N.V. Subbarow, said the new ceiling price would be a burden for the bottom 40 per cent income (B40) group.
"They will face many problems (in buying the chicken at that price, let alone consume it)," he said today.
Earlier, the cabinet agreed to set the ceiling price for standard chicken kg in Peninsular Malaysia at RM9.40 per.
The ceiling price will come into effect on Friday.
The ceiling prices for chicken eggs in Peninsular Malaysia, meanwhile, were fixed at 45 sen each for Grade A eggs, 43 sen each for Grade B eggs and 41 sen each for Grade C eggs.
The ceiling price for standard chicken in Peninsular Malaysia is currently RM8.90 per kg.
Subbarow urged the Agriculture and Food Industries Ministry to give its assurance that poultry sellers would not impose additional charges for cutting up the chicken.
"Previously, poultry sellers charged between RM1 and RM2 to cut up each chicken.
"If they continue to impose additional charges, then the price of chicken will be RM10.40 per kg, instead of the set ceiling price of RM9.40 per kg," he added.
Subbarow also called on the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry to intensify enforcement and monitoring efforts to ensure that the bird was not sold at a much higher price.
People, meanwhile, have taken to social media to share their views on the new ceiling price.
Netizen Jarrod Chan said: "What ceiling price? Vendors at the wet market are selling whole chickens at RM12 per kg".
Another netizen, Patrick Leong, said there was no use setting ceiling prices for chicken and eggs when breeders could not cope with the production costs.
"Will they continue to run their business when there is no profit?
"You did manage to set ceiling prices, but the question is do you have enough chicken for the local market? What use is the ceiling prices when there is no stock?"
Gursharan Singh added that the market prices for these items in some places may have exceeded the new ceiling prices.
He said additional charges may be imposed by other means.
Hamizan Hamzah said ceiling prices would not solve the problem if producers could not make a decent profit.
"They will then stop producing because they will lose money. The crux of the matter is the price of chicken feed. The government must control the price of chicken feed or find a way to help producers. With the low exchange rate of the ringgit, the cost of importing feed is very high." - NST
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