Chicken Breeders Call Weekend Boycott Over Govt Subsidy

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Four poultry companies are reported to be planning to suspend operations for the weekend. (Bernama pic)PETALING JAYA: Four poultry companies are reportedly planning to suspend operations this weekend in a “boycott” that may cost the industry RM26 million in losses.
An industry source told Utusan Malaysia that the “boycott” is over the government’s delay in providing a subsidy of 60 sen per kilogramme to poultry farmers.
“So far, four companies have issued circulars to all parties regarding this. Some have started to shut down their operations today, and some will start tomorrow and will end on Monday,” the report said.
“This will disrupt the chicken supply chain, with the market expected to suffer a loss of RM26 million,” said the source.

The report comes a day after the Federation of Livestock Farmers’ Associations of Malaysia had denied that some chicken breeders in Melaka would suspend operations to protest against the delay.
Bernama reported that a livestock farm in Merlimau, Jasin, had issued a notice that supply of chicken would be halted on May 21-22 on the grounds that the live chickens at their farm are not gaining weight at the proper rate.
Supply of chicken in Selangor is expected to be reduced tomorrow, but a spokesman for the Selangor Agricultural Development Corporation denied allegations that there will be no chicken supplied at the Selayang wholesale market.
“It’s just that the stock is limited,” he said, according to Sinar Harian.
The reported quoted Idrus Zainal Abidin, chairman of the Selangor State Poultry Breeders Association, as saying that 70% of members’ stock had died from disease, causing limited supply of chicken in the market. - FMT

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