When Malaysia halted chicken exports, Singapore had to quickly find alternatives to meet its domestic poultry demand. One option considered involved getting chicken from our other neighbouring countries, namely Indonesia.
That has since spawned into reality when the first batch of frozen chicken departed Indonesia for Singapore on 13 Jul.
With an agreement now in place, some poultry producers in Indonesia are exploring the idea of setting up a chicken farm on the neighbouring island of Batam.
Source: AG Daily
If all things go well, live chicken exports from Indonesia might be a thing in the future given the relatively close proximity between Singapore and Batam, which translates to shorter journeys.
According to The Straits Times (ST), a new chicken farm may be set up in Batam if there is a healthy demand over the next year.
Mr Suryo Pratomo, the Indonesian Ambassador to Singapore has apparently been in talks with chicken producers in Indonesia who are looking to set up farms on Batam.
Through their conversations, Mr Pratomo understands that the producers are seeking to get a better idea of the demand in Singapore over the coming year. Armed with this information, they will then determine if they should set up a farm on Batam.
As it stands, frozen chicken exports from Indonesia take four days to arrive on our shores.
Source: Shin Min Daily News on Facebook
In comparison, exports from countries like the United States, Brazil, and Argentina take up to 30 to 60 days.
The first batch of frozen chicken exports from Indonesia arrived on Sunday (14 Jul) and has reportedly been sold out.
Source: Koh Poh Koon on Facebook
The majority of the 50-tonne shipment was wiped out by chicken rice stalls, ST reports.
Mr Suryo expects Indonesia to export a total of 1,000 tonnes of frozen chicken by end-2023.
Source: Koh Poh Koon on Facebook
In contrast, Malaysia exported nearly 73,000 tonnes of chicken to Singapore in 2021.
Additionally, a new “option” has emerged with Indonesia’s frozen chicken exports.
The latest shipment marks the first time that frozen chickens arrived on our shores with their heads and feet intact.
As with most things, diversification is a good thing when it comes to our sources of chicken imports.
With more channels to meet our domestic poultry demand, we hope Singapore will be more resilient to disruptions moving forward.
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Featured image adapted from EW Nutrition.
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