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Malaysia’s chicken export ban to have ‘adverse impact’ on prices in Singapore: CASE

A worker feeds chickens as classical music by Mozart play in the background at Kee Song Brothers' drug-free poultry farm in Yong Peng, in Malaysia's southern state of Johor April 16, 2015. In barns filled with classical music and lighting that changes to match the hues outside, rows of chickens are fed a diet rich in probiotics, a regimen designed to remove the need for the drugs and chemicals that have tainted the global food chain. Picture taken April 16, 2015. To match POULTRY-DRUG/  REUTERS/Edgar Su
A worker feeds chickens in a poultry farm in Johor, Malaysia. (PHOTO: Reuters)

SINGAPORE — There will be an “adverse impact” on the prices of chicken and related products in Singapore, the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE) said on Tuesday (24 May).

The statement by CASE on its Facebook page comes a day after Malaysia’s Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced that the country will stop the export of 3.6 million chickens a month from 1 June, in a bid to stabilise production, as prices of the poultry continued to soar.

Global chicken prices and related products such as raw materials for chicken feed have been surging in recent months due to the conflict in Ukraine.

CASE also echoed the call by the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) to advise consumers to consider alternative sources of chicken and meat products and frozen options for now and to only buy what they need and "not buy excessively", as SFA monitors the situation.

In addition, CASE encourages consumers to use Price Kaki to compare prices of chicken and related products in the coming weeks.

“We will also concurrently work towards increasing the number of chicken and related products available on Price Kaki so consumers can continue to stretch their dollar to tide through this sudden impact on our chicken supply,” CASE said.

Of Singapore’s chicken imports totalling about 214,400 tonnes last year, about a third, or almost 73,000 tonnes, were from Malaysia. Almost all of the Malaysian imports were live chickens, which were slaughtered and chilled in Singapore.

Malaysia said it will abolish approved permits of poultry in a bid to help importers gain access to more supply sources.

PM Ismail also noted reports of cartels manipulating chicken prices and production, and warned against such actions.

“The government regrets and is disappointed with the actions of some companies that stopped the supply of chicken, causing an increase in prices and lack of supply in the market…If it is found that there is a cartel, the government will take legal action against them,” said Ismail, according to a report by Malay Mail.

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