Chicken and egg prices will skyrocket if there is no government intervention, said Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi. Therefore, he said the government, including his Ministry (KPDNHEP) always took proactive measures to offset the increase in chicken and egg prices in the market.
Among the measures taken include the extension of the Skim Harga Maksimum Keluarga Malaysia until Feb4, importing frozen round chicken, and providing easy loans to the poultry industry to overcome the issue of rising chicken prices. Nanta said the implementation of SHMKM that ended extended for another 35 days, effective Jan 1 to Feb 4, 2022, with the chicken ceiling price set until at RM6.10 per kilogram at the farm level, RM7.80 per kilogram at the wholesale level, and RM9.10 per kilogram at the retail level.
In addition, there are efforts to import frozen round chickens up to 10,000 metric tons or 5.5 million heads per month which will be undertaken by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry. “With the increase in supply, this supply can cover any shortage of chicken and create healthy competition which in turn can control and balance the price of chicken in the market,” he said. Elaborating further, he said the statement was not intentionally fabricated but based on information received from engagement sessions with Mafi, Veterinary Services Department, Ministry of Finance, representatives of Agrobank, and the Federation of Breeders Associations Malaysia.
He said each party had presented factors for the increase in operating costs of poultry farming, including the increase in the cost of chicken feed globally and the shortage of manpower due to restrictions on foreign labour.
Additionally, the Government has also provided soft loans to the poultry industry with an allocation of RM262 million to help farmers affected by the increase in fertilizer and pesticide prices. Of that amount, RM200 million is provided as agro-food loans at zero interest with a six-month repayment moratorium through Agrobank and TEKUN for food producers.
