Selangor will face shortage of 600k chickens in one year: poultry association

KUALA SELANGOR - The Selangor Chicken Poultry Association predicts the country will face a shortage of at least 600,000 chickens in one year if the government doesn't take seriously the plight faced by the poultry breeders.

Its chairman Muzamri Shoib said many breeders are contemplating closing down their businesses as they can no longer bear the high operation costs.

"Recently, at least three breeders in Selangor and over 20 in Pahang closed down their businesses," he said in a press conference after the Eid Open House event with poultry breeders’ associations on Wednesday.

Muzamri said breeders were pressured by the government’s decision to ‘favour’ middlemen when it allowed an 80 sen subsidy for each kilogramme of chicken, which is 87.25 per cent compared to 12.5 per cent to breeders.

"Based on a report from the Malaysian Statistics Department (DOSM) the livestock cost is RM6.40 per kilogramme of chicken, but the selling price at farms is RM5.70 per kilogramme," he said.

He explained the government distributed a 60-cent subsidy equally, which was 30 sen to breeders and 30 sen to companies since it was introduced in February last year.

"The same amount was given in August last year when the subsidies of RM1.40 and RM1.20 were given.

"However, when the subsidy of 80 sen was given to middlemen since September last year, breeders received only 10 sen per kilogramme while suppliers received 70 sen per kilogramme until now," he explained.

Muzamri said the changes were not discussed among poultry breeders as they had previously.

Johor Utara Poultry Breeding Association secretary Lim Leong Tuan informed breeders that they bear more risks compared to suppliers in the efforts to maintain chicken supply in the market.

"Breeders face problems with birds being affected by diseases causing death as well as natural disasters such as floods.

"There are also issues with chicken not up to quality; a decrease in the number of chicks had us bearing the costs," he explained.

The Pahang Malay Breeders Association chairman, Jamaludin Abd Ghani urged the government to distribute subsidies to breeders equally with those received by suppliers.

"We ask for an equal distribution to prevent many breeders from closing down," he said.