Malaysia's chicken export ban to end on Aug 31: Minister
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s Minister of Agriculture and Food Industries Ronald Kiandee said the country’s export ban on chickens is set to end on Aug 31.
“This intervention is temporary, and is scheduled to end on Aug 31 at this point,” Dr Kiandee said in parliament on Thursday (Aug 4).
He was replying to Kluang MP Wong Shu Qi’s follow-up question during ministerial question time.
Calling the decision to ban exports a wrong move, Ms Wong said the ban had caused Singapore to diversify its food sources and purchase chickens from other neighbouring countries.
“We have lost a market. So no matter whether we reopen or allow exports again, we have lost a customer,” Ms Wong said.
In response, Dr Kiandee reiterated that the ban was temporary and that similar protectionist steps had been taken by other countries which were facing shortages of food supplies.
“When conditions are stable all over the country - not just oversupply in a few locations, but all across the country - of course the government will decide to allow exports,” he said.
Earlier on Aug 1, the minister informed the MPs that Malaysia is now in an oversupply situation and can export chickens to other countries.
“At this point in time, we are able to produce 106 per cent of our needs for chicken. This means we have the capacity to export chicken from our country,” the minister said on Aug 1.
The Malaysian government had earlier banned the export of up to 3.6 million chickens from Jun 1 in its efforts to tackle the supply and pricing issues for chicken in the country.
The ban came about after complaints of supply shortage and price increases of chicken, with some traders selling their chickens above the price ceiling to cover their costs.
In tackling the problem of rising chicken price, the government had set a new ceiling price of RM9.40 per kg for standard chicken from Jul 1.
Malaysia’s poultry industry players have urged the government to lift the chicken export ban, or they will lose out on the Singapore market.
In response to the export ban, Singapore announced that it will buy chickens from other places including Indonesia and Thailand.
Malaysia partially lifted the ban and allowed poultry importers in Singapore to resume bringing in live kampung and black chickens from Jun 14.
