Malaysia's chicken supply shortage to be resolved in time for Hari Raya Haji: Official

Apart from banning chicken exports, Malaysia has also removed government permits to import chickens as well as wheat. PHOTO: AFP

KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia's chicken supply shortage is expected to be resolved in about a month's time, a senior government official said on Saturday (June 4).

Supply would be enough to meet demand during the Hari Raya Haji celebration next month, Veterinary Services Department director-general Norlizan Mohd Noor was quoted as saying by Bernama news agency.

Malaysia will celebrate Hari Raya Haji on July 10.

He said the government's intervention and inter-agency engagements with industry players have improved the situation.

"They are committed to increasing production. We are in the recovery process," Datuk Norlizan told reporters after attending an official event, as quoted by Bernama.

Apart from banning chicken exports, Malaysia has also removed the need to have government permits to import chickens.

The Malaysian government imposed a ceiling price of RM8.90 (S$2.78) per kg of chicken, under a price control scheme in force between Feb 5 and June 5.

Local media reported that some grocers are pricing chicken as high as RM17 a kg.

Mr Norlizan said industry players told them that the supply of chickens was influenced by several factors such as climate change that raised local temperatures, diseases and insuficient number of farm workers, the news agency reported.

He said nearly 80 per cent of local chicken breeders use open poultry houses, which expose the birds to hot weather and disease-carrying flies, while only a few have adopted the enclosed chicken coop system.

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