June 6, 2013
Indonesia''s poultry meat price in the market has gone up due to a heat wave in the Petaling Jaya region which is affecting chicken feed and causing the fowl to lose weight.
Extra consumer demand during the school holidays are also pushing the prices up, said farmers and traders.
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 soy, 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 chickens 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 chickento be at MYR4.90 (US$1.60)/kg, up from MYR4.40 (US$1.43)/kg a week or so ago, while the cost of rearing for farmers was at MYR4.50 (US$ 1.50)/kg.
The farms in Peninsular Malaysia, he added, produced 1.5 million chickens 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 MYR7.10 (US$2.30)/kg for the meat, which he then sold for MYR8.50 (US$2.76)/kg. In Muar, traders claimed that they had had to raise the price of processed chicken to MYR8 (US$2.60)/kg from MYR6 (US$1.95) 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 MYR2 (US$0.65)/kg over the past week.
A chicken trader, who wished to be known as Lim, said prices were usually between MYR5 (US$1.62) and MYR6 (US$1.95)/kg.