Perak Poultry Dealers Association chairman, Jimmy Chong Tong Sing, made the call on 23 September in commenting on the latest announcement by the Government on the retail price of chicken.

If the ex-farm price of live chicken was fixed at either 4.50 or 4.60 ringgits (MYR) per kilo, retailers would be able to survive, Mr Chong said after submitting a memorandum on the matter to Perak Unity and National Integration and Consumer Affairs Committee chairman, Chen Fook Chye.

But, The Star Online says that if poultry farmers raised the price to MYR5 per kilo, retailers would find it hard to make ends meet, he added.

Last week, the Government unveiled the list of price-controlled items effective from 24 September to 8 October for Hari Raya and from 20 October to 3 November for Deepavali.

For live chicken, the wholesale ceiling price is MYR5.25 per kilo, while the retail ceiling price is MYR5.95.

For standard chicken (slaughtered and dressed, with leg, head, liver and gizzard), the wholesale ceiling price is MYR6.20 per kilo, and the retail ceiling price MYR7.00

For super chicken (slaughtered and dressed, without leg, head, liver and gizzard), the wholesale ceiling price is MYR7.00 per kilo, and the retail ceiling price MYR7.85.

Mr Chong feared that, without an ex-farm ceiling price, farmers could even sell chickens at MYR5.00 per kilo.

Mustafa Kamal, a chicken retailer at Tanjung Rambutan market, wondered why the Government did not fix a ceiling price for chickens sold at the farm.