KUALA LUMPUR – The supply and price of chicken and eggs remain stable amid the strengthening of the ringgit, said Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu.
“The price of chicken has stabilised due to the import of corn and soy, which have also stabilised.
“Today, the ringgit stands at RM4.69 (against the US dollar). With the strengthening of the ringgit, the prices of chicken and eggs will further stabilise.
“This will result in a reduction in the import price of chicken feed,” he told the Dewan Rakyat today.
Mohamad was responding to a question posed by Sim Tze Tzin (Bayan Baru-PH), who asked whether the price of chicken meat had risen or if there was a shortage of supply in the market after the abolition of subsidies and price controls.
On questions about whether the government will halt the import of chicken, Mohamad said that the ministry will continue to monitor the market situation from time to time.
“What is important now is that the price of chicken has stabilised. The ministry’s primary concern is the potential impact on consumers (if there is a shortage of chicken and eggs).
“Even in the case of eggs, we currently have a surplus of twenty million, surpassing the self-sufficiency ratio,” he added.
Although there are reports of shortages, these are isolated cases related to administrative issues.
“If there is a report, we (the ministry) will immediately act upon it to make sure there are no shortages,” he added.
Further, in response to a supplementary question posed by Nurul Amin Hamid (Padang Terap-PN) regarding the reported 30 sen increase in chicken prices, he assured that the prices have never exceeded the ceiling price set by the government.
“The Veterinary Services Department reported that the supply of chicken and eggs is stable.
“Even though there is an increase in prices in certain locations, it is isolated and has never gone above the ceiling price of RM9.40/kg,” he added.
For example, in Mydin, chicken is still sold below RM9/kg, sometimes RM7.90/kg, sometimes RM8/kg.
“The ministry will continue to hold engagement whether with large-scale or small-scale chicken farmers to ensure that the supply of chickens and eggs is adequate,” he said.
Mohamad earlier said that the average price of farm chicken in Peninsular Malaysia has been RM5.85/kg in November 2023, RM6.39/kg in December 2023, RM6.13/kg in January 2024 and RM6.03/kg in February 2024. – March 14, 2024