KUALA LUMPUR – Prices of chicken have generally gone down throughout supermarket chains nationwide following the lifting of subsidies and price control mechanisms taking effect today.
Checks by Scoop revealed that supermarket chains such as Mydin, NSK Trade City, and Lotus’s Malaysia have significantly reduced their prices for poultry items per kg, which stood at RM9.40 yesterday under the subsidised rate.
Lotus’s Malaysia offered the lowest price among the supermarket chains, with the price set at RM7.39 per kg of chicken based on its website, followed by NSK Trade City (RM7.79), Fresh Grocer (RM7.59), Giant (RM7.89), Sam Groceria (RM9.39), and Mercato (RM10.99).
On the other hand, several wet markets throughout parts of the city were selling their poultry items at RM9.40 per kg, which was the previous subsidised rate.
TTDI’s wet market chicken seller, Burhan Syafie, 54, said chicken supply in the country remains stable and its prices will not increase.
“The chicken supply will be enough if there’s enough imported chicken in the market.
“But if the supply decreases, the chicken price might increase by RM1 to RM2,” he told Scoop when met today.
Burhan says he sells roughly 200 to 300 chickens daily, with more being sold during the weekends, ensuring that he makes a net profit of between RM400 and RM500 daily.
Another 33-year-old chicken seller, Man, said that while the price of chicken today may have dropped, he expects it to rise in the coming days, especially as Deepavali celebrations approach.
“Chicken prices may rise during Deepavali. Over the next few days, it may rise by 30 to 50 sen above the normal market price,” he said.
Man also said that the current chicken price is based on the last controlled price, with profits set at only RM1 per whole chicken sold.
“The price for chicken stands at RM9.40 per kg according to the previous controlled price, but if customers bargain for a lower price, we will give them a lower price.
“We earn RM1 (profit for one whole chicken) because we usually can’t make much profit from other poultry items like drumsticks, thighs, or gizzards due to the controlled price,” he added.
Speaking to another chicken seller, Ummah Isa, 25, about the return of floating chicken prices, he admitted that he would be hesitant to tell his regular customers whenever chicken prices increased because they would think he was manipulating the price for more profits.
“When chicken prices were floated in the past, prices increased and decreased at least twice in a single week.
“Sometimes, when the price has increased three times in a week, I am hesitant to inform my regular customers who purchase chickens every day for their restaurants, as they may think we changed the price,” he said.
Noting that the majority of his regular customers are restaurant owners, he admits that he must adhere to the price set by the supplier as well as the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry.
“I can’t do anything (about the chicken price). I only follow the price set by my supplier and the ministry,” he said.
Like Man, Ummah also said he only gained RM1 profit per sale of one whole chicken, or RM1.50 profit for a small-sized chicken. – November 1, 2023