Poultry Farmer Tells Why Chicken Prices Go Up

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A government minister has said chicken prices have reached RM10-RM11 a kg compared to the festive season controlled price of RM7.50PETALING JAYA: In the face of complaints about high chicken prices, a poultry farmer has explained that prices have gone up because of problems with supply, restrictions of the movement control order, the weather and the quality of feed
The farmer, who asked not to be named, voiced exasperation over reports that the government may set a maximum price for chicken prices, similar to festive season price controls
On Sunday, domestic trade minister Alexander Nanta Linggi spoke of prices reaching RM10 to RM11 per kg compared to the maximum of RM7.50 in the festive season scheme
The farmer told FMT: “People need to be fair to us. There are many factors which affect the production of a chicken and these factors are not constant
“We import chicken feed from overseas: the weakening of the ringgit means costs go up. The price of imported fruits has also been on the rise but we don’t see anyone complaining. No one talks about our costs going up when the currency depreciates.”He said the supply of chickens had slowed under MCO restrictions and much fewer chickens were sent to the slaughterhouse
“That means there is less room for new chicks to be introduced. The recent rainy weather means chicks are exposed to colder temperatures and they become more susceptible to illness. When they are sick, they will grow at a slower rate.”The farmer added that the quality of feed also affected the growth rate of chicks
“We import feed from around the world, there are times where there are bad shipments. This is a risk we take and everyone suffers.” A single bird requires between 1.6kg and 1.9kg of feed, he said
“The MCO was very challenging, some farmers almost when bankrupt. On top of that, when there were price controls, we lost money as our costs remained high.”The farmer said chicken prices in Malaysia were still lower than neighbouring countries including Indonesia, Philippines, and Vietnam. - FMT

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