Malaysia’s ban on chicken exports is likely to last at least another one to two months.
This is to ensure sufficient domestic supply and stable prices, said Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob.
Source: KimberlyIverson on Flickr
This is despite a minister saying earlier this month that there was an oversupply of chicken in the country.
Mr Ismail Sabri said this during an interview broadcast over local TV on Saturday (20 Aug), Malaysian media company Bernama reported.
The interview was part of a programme to mark one year since he was sworn in as the country’s ninth PM on 21 Aug 2021.
The theme of the programme was “Inspirasi Setahun Keluarga Malaysia”, or “One-Year Inspiration for the Malaysian Family”.
During the interview, the PM said his Cabinet had discussed the issue of the chicken export ban.
However, they cannot make a decision yet, as chicken prices are still being subsidised, he added.
Malaysian chicken and egg farmers are currently enjoying subsidies to help them with rising costs and loss in revenue from exports.
A total of S$342 million (RM1.1 billion) had been approved by the government for this, reported The Straits Times (ST).
Source: Google Maps
The subsidies are set to end on 31 Aug.
After the subsidies end, “we will wait for one or two months”, Bernama quoted Mr Ismail Sabri as saying.
He noted the need to monitor supply and prices, adding that if the government sees that there’s “still a lot of supply” and prices are low, “we may be able to allow exports”.
However, he wanted to avoid lifting the chicken export ban when chicken supplies are insufficient.
That will cause prices to go up, he cautioned.
Source: hathaway_m on Flickr
However, on 1 Aug, Malaysian Agriculture and Food Industries Minister Ronald Kiandee told the country’s Parliament that the chicken supply situation had stabilised.
In fact, the country had a “slight oversupply” of chicken at that time, he added.
That had caused prices to drop.
But just three days later on 4 Aug, Malaysia’s Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industries (MAFI) said that the chicken export ban would remain, with no end date on the horizon.
On that day, Dr Kiandee said in Parliament that the ban was temporary, and the government would allow exports when the oversupply is recorded “all across the country”.
Source: boo lee on Flickr
Malaysia’s chicken export ban started on 1 Jun.
Meanwhile, Singapore has been importing fresh and frozen chicken from countries like Thailand, Australia and the United States (US).
We’ve also approved Indonesia as another chicken source, and started imports in July.
These developments have prompted Malaysian chicken breeders to urge their government to lift the export ban.
Some fear that they may lose the Singapore market as resuming exports will be difficult once we commit to other arrangements.
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Featured image adapted from hathaway_m on Flickr.
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