PETALING JAYA: Stakeholders, industry players and chicken sellers are waiting to see what happens next after June 5 when the ceiling price of chicken of RM8.90 ends.

       A chicken seller, who wants to be known only as Ibrahim, said the whole issue of chicken supply and pricing seems more like a tug of war.

       “I have been selling chicken in the wet market for 17 years, and I can say that the current ceiling price is lower than the wholesale price.

       “So I am selling at a loss and if I increase my price, the enforcement officers will impose a fine.

       “With this in mind, I have decided that I will close my shop if they impose a fine on me because it is no longer viable.

       “Even if I show them the bill from the wholesaler, it does not matter, so how is this going to work in the long run?

       “The core issue here is that the price of chicken feed has increased; as such, the cost of rearing chicken has increased for the poultry farmers and they are not getting the subsidies promised to them in time.

       “This backlog is creating a chain reaction for those in the business,” he told The Star.

       The government had set RM8.90 per kg as the ceiling price for chicken from Feb 5 to June 5.

       An industry player who wishes to remain anonymous said that he will wait and see what happens after June 5.

       “At this point, it is best to let the government handle the issue. The situation is really affecting the industry players,” he said.

       The Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (Fomca) deputy president Mohd Yusof Abdul Rahman said the NGO has yet to receive any new updates on the price of chicken.

       “Many are of the opinion that we should emulate countries that are banning exports to ensure their people have sufficient supply.

       “This is something where the government should play a crucial part. Priority is for the locals, then if there is a surplus, stakeholders should be allowed to export,” he said.

       Mohd Yusof said it is best to take the “wait and see” approach for now.

       A quick check by The Star among chicken sellers revealed that many wholesalers are out of stock.

       One seller said: “I don’t think the ceiling price will remain. The price of chicken is higher right now because the demand is also high. Currently, the stock is also less.”

       Another seller said he was cleaned out last month.

       “I don’t have any more stock, you have to find it elsewhere,” he said.

       Around the social media livestock groups, the issue of chicken feed remains the top reason for the increase in chicken price.

       Hezry Haizah said that the price of corn and soy should be negotiated.

       “The government should send a representative to negotiate this. If they can form a team to negotiate the price of palm oil, why not for corn? ” he said.

       Philip Laing said: “The biggest issue in the Malaysian chicken industry is the chicken feed ... the price of corn and soy needs to be controlled.”