Govt Needs A Long-Term Plan For Chicken Shortage Than Importing Frozen Chicken

The Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) is shocked by the Minister of Entrepreneur and Cooperative Development (Kuskop) Tan Sri Noh Omar announcement that the ministry is currently trying to import frozen chicken to ensure sufficient chicken supply in the country.

Such a move will destroy the local poultry farming industry if the imported chicken is indeed cheaper. Chicken farmers may find it even more challenging to survive in such an environment and they may have to cease operation. When that happens, Malaysia becomes dependent on imported frozen chicken.

The government should rather focus on ways to reduce production costs. In fact, there has been much research conducted by our local universities on animal feed using oil palm waste for many years.

It is claimed that feed costs take up about 70% of the production costs of chicken and eggs. If it is then the government should turn to academics and industry experts to identify how they can contribute to solving the problem.

The Selangor state government announced that it would be adopting a new method researched by Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia two years ago to provide alternative animal feed production. It was said to lower chicken feed production cost to 70 sen compared to the current RM1.70. This would mean a cost reduction of about 60%. The method for feed production has been implemented in Kedah.

It does not make sense why the government must consider importing frozen chicken when it is supposed to identify and develop long-term solutions since the country is in dire need to improve its food security.

Mohideen Abdul Kader
President
Consumers Association of Penang (CAP)

Letter to the Editor, 27 July 2022

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