Poultry Price on the Rise as Heat Wave Affects Chicken Feed
MALAYSIA - A searing heat wave in the Petaling Jaya region is affecting chicken feed and causing the fowl to lose weight, impacting the price of the meat in the market.
4 June 2013
3 minute read
Extra consumer demand during the school holidays are also pushing the prices up, said farmers and traders.
According to The Star Online, Federation of Livestock Farmers' Associations of Malaysia president Kwei Yew Tong said the warmer weather had not only affected chicken feed, which is primarily made of corn and soybean, but the fowl's eating habits as well.
“When the weather is not good, the feed kept in the seed mills is affected, so (the quality of) chicken goes down. Warmer weather means that the chicken eat less.
“But you cannot tell customers to stop buying chicken,” said Kwei, adding that the lighter weight of chicken had led to smaller supply for current market demand.
He estimated that the current ex-farm or wholesale price of chicken to be at RM4.90 per kilo, up from RM4.40 a week or so ago, while the cost of rearing for farmers was at RM4.50 per kilo.
The farms in Peninsular Malaysia, he added, produced 1.5 million chicken every day.
A poultry farmer, who declined to be named, said the school holidays had had an effect on demand as well because there were weddings and kenduri during this period.
However, the price of chicken was not expected to fluctuate much as Malaysia had an oversupply in the market.
Chicken trader Azahari Hasan said his suppliers charged about RM7.10 per kilo for the meat, which he then sold for RM8.50 per kilo.
“The situation will go back to normal soon,” he said.
In Muar, traders claimed that they had had to raise the price of processed chicken to RM8 per kilo from RM6 just before the school holidays.
Muar Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Department chief Basha Abidin Ali said chicken price was no longer under government control.
In George Town, a check showed that the price of chicken had gone up by about RM2 per kilo over the past week.
A chicken trader, who wished to be known as Lim, said prices were usually between RM5 and RM6 per kilo.
“However, since the school holidays began, the price has been slowly increasing.
“The current price of chicken is RM7.80,” he said.
