No cause for panic buying

Several wet markets and supermarkets here saw their shelves cleared of fresh chicken earlier this week as consumers flocked to stock up on the meat. The increased demand came on the back of Malaysia announcing that it would halt the export of up to 3.6 million chickens a month from June 1 until domestic prices and production stabilised. At wet markets in Bedok, Ghim Moh, Bishan and MacPherson, poultry stalls said they were sold out from between 8am and 9.30am, at least three to four hours before they usually sell out. The "panic buying" of fresh chicken reflects its popularity, the fear among buyers that others will beat them to a place in the queue, and worries that the price of frozen chicken will rise as stocks of fresh chicken dwindle.

Common sense would dictate that chicken, especially that which is bought in wet markets, is in demand precisely because it is meant to be eaten fresh. Hence, moves to stock up on fresh chicken - only to put it in the freezer - would appear to defeat the purpose of having to rush for it in the first place. Indeed, although many here prefer fresh chicken because it is said to taste better than the frozen variety - much as kampung (or free-roaming) chicken is prized over broiler chicken - the latter is not so different as to be ruled out as an alternative. Much depends on how soon and how well the meat is cooked. Certainly, anything fresh is to be preferred, but not to the extent that a predicted shortfall should send consumers automatically into panic-buying mode.