April 17, 2008

Malaysian poultry farmers urge for price cap removal

More than 2,000 poultry farmers have called for the government to remove the price cap on chicken.

The government had placed a ceiling price of RM 4 per kilogram of chicken, but the cost of production is currently at RM 4.53.

The sharp increases in production costs are pressurising the poultry industry economically, according to Kwei Yew Tong, broiler unit chairman of the Federation of Livestock Farmers' Association (FLFAM).

Kwei said the association had appealed to the government several times before to scale back or remove the ceiling price but they had so far been ignored. In face of this, the farmers have warned of an impending strike should the government ignore their plight again.

The removal of the ceiling price would ensure the survival and sustainability of the domestic poultry industry in the interest of food security, according to Kwei, who added that the ceiling price benefits only the wholesalers and retailers.