May 24, 2022

 

Malaysia stops chicken exports from June 1

 

 

Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, Prime Minister of Malaysia, announced that the country will stop exports of up to 3.6 million chickens from June 1 until poultry prices and production stabilises, Bernama reported.

 

The Prime Minister said this is a short-term measure to cope with a chicken shortage issue in the country.

 

He said the government has also agreed to establish a national chicken buffer stock and optimise cold room storage facilities that are owned by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry (MAFI) and its agencies.

 

Permits to import chicken to Malaysia, called "Approved Permits (AP)" have also been abolished. The Prime Minister said this will allow chicken imports from new sources and make the claim process by poultry producers easier.

 

The Malaysian Cabinet meeting also decided to add and recognise overseas slaughterhouses to boost poultry output.

 

The Prime Minister said the Malaysian Competition Commission (MyCC) is investigating news of cartels controlling chicken prices and production in the country, and expects the inquiry to be done next month.

 

He also said the government will re-introduce a campaign rolled out in 2014 to cut out the middleman, with the National Farmers Organisation (NAFAS) to lead.

 

Ismail Sabri said MAFI and the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry have been asked to propose plans to grow corn domestically and use palm kernel cake as alternative chicken feed.

 

He encouraged farmers' organisations, cooperatives, government agencies, and government-linked companies to enter the poultry industry, adding that the government is looking into possible assistance that can be offered.

 

The current ceiling price of standard chicken in Malaysia is MR 8.90 per kg, with a MYR 729.43 million government subsidy allocated under the Keluarga Malaysia Price Control Scheme (SKHKM).

 

The Prime Minister said the government discovered major firms that do not want to apply for subsidies and have called on the government to allow prices for chicken to be decided by the market. Only MYR 50 million in subsidies have been paid out to chicken breeders who own smaller companies.

 

He said these companies can be charged under the Control of Supplies Act 1961 (Act 122) if there were elements of hoarding, storing or sabotage on chicken supplies.

 

The country has also abolished APs for wheat imports.

 

-      Bernama