Poultry subsidies: Veterinary Dept still waiting for instructions

 

The Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) has clarified it was not open for poultry subsidy applications for 2023 yet.

In a statement, the DVS said subsidies for the January to June 2023 period were deliberated by the cabinet on Feb 17.

"As of today, the DVS and the Agriculture and Food Security Ministry are still waiting for instructions from the cabinet," the DVS said in a statement today.

The DVS was responding to queries from Malaysiakini regarding news reports that speculated subsidies for poultry - the cheapest protein - will end soon.

According to Utusan Malaysia, some industry players reached this conclusion because the online application forms for the subsidies have been removed.

The DVS did not address this specifically but stressed that applications for subsidies for 2022 had closed on Jan 15.

Normally, Putrajaya subsidises poultry producers only during festive seasons.

However, the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent war in Ukraine have led to higher livestock feed prices and thus increased poultry prices.

So far, Agriculture and Food Security Minister Mohamad Sabu has indicated that a review of the subsidy will only take place in June.

Currently, the retail price of a whole dressed chicken is capped at RM9.40 per kg while the prices of grades A, B and C chicken eggs are at 45 sen, 43 sen and 41 sen each, respectively, in Peninsular Malaysia. - Mkini