GEORGE TOWN: Poultry farmers want the Federal Government to subsidise chicken feed, which has become expensive due to the weakening ringgit.

       Chicken breeder Muhammad Sufi Jamil said a 50kg sack of chicken feed was priced at RM80 previously but now, it could cost between RM140 and RM160.

       “When this happens, the price of chicken will surely increase. There will be a chain reaction and consumers will be impacted,” he said.

       The former government officer turned farmer said that most chicken feed available in the country is imported.

       “The price of raw materials to produce chicken feed like wheat and corn is also extremely high. And that has become a major factor why chicken is expensive,” said Muhammad Sufi, 32.

       He said the government should regulate the price of chicken feed so that middlemen would not be able to manipulate the numbers.

       “I am sure the chain reaction will affect other livestock too,” he said, adding that government subsidy is important to control the price.

       Another chicken breeder, who wanted to be known only as Lee, urged the Federal Government to control the price of imported raw materials in the country.

       This would prevent the industry from being manipulated by middlemen, he said, adding that other factors contributing to an increase in chicken prices are poultry diseases.

       “The government must do something to avoid a food crisis from happening in our country,” he added.

       Azmi Khor, a chicken supplier from Kulim, Kedah, said that the rising cost of raw materials to produce chicken feed is not the only reason why chicken prices have gone up.

       “Hidden costs like the facilities, utilities and high demand for chicken during the festive season also contributed to the price increase,” he said.

       Since January, the price of grain corn and soybean meals, the two main feed for chickens, increased by 13% and 11% respectively.

       On April 16, the Agriculture and Food Industries Ministry said in a statement that it was providing subsidy assistance to broiler chicken breeders and layer chicken breeders involving RM528.52mil through the Malaysian Family Maximum Price Control Scheme.

       This was aimed at easing the burden of 2,255 breeders nationwide following the increase in costs of chicken feed, which makes up 70% of the overall costs apart from logistics, labour, utilities and medicines.