SHAH ALAM - The government is urged to introduce a subsidy system for poultry farmers who provide chickens to local markets as an initiative to control the increase in chicken prices.
According to a chicken trader who only wanted to be known as Azizan, if the issue was rooted in imported chicken feed and the government should give the subsidy to the poultry farmers so that the chicken price can be stabilized as well as not burden the consumers.
He said the issue should be discussed extensively between the government, especially the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs, together with the traders and the farmers.
"They should discuss and provide the best solutions to the issue, but I would not deny the possibility that there were price manipulations from the farmers who wanted the chicken feed subsidy from the government,” he said to Sinar Harian.
On Friday (Jan 7), the KPDNHEP ministry, Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi informed, the rakyat should be prepared to face the price hike of the chicken ceiling that is expected to occur in early February after the Malaysian Family Maximum Price Scheme ends.
Meanwhile, another chicken trader at Pasar Seksyen 16 here, Sazali Ramli said, apart from the food prices, the additional cost to raise the chickens are also increasing.
"Perhaps, the government should provide the subsidy to reduce the chicken price because when chicken prices go down, automatically this will reduce the cost to the traders. So then the traders can sell at a cheaper price.