KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Diners in Singapore are bracing for a surge in prices for their country’s chicken and rice as neighboring Malaysia prepares to block exports to boost supply in its home market and curb price spikes.
Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced that starting June 1, Malaysia will ban the export of 3.6 million chickens per month until domestic prices and production stabilize. The move is most visible in Singapore, where a third of the country’s poultry comes from Malaysia.
Almost all chickens are imported alive into Singapore, where they are slaughtered and refrigerated. Consumers in Singapore had been snapping up fresh chicken ahead of the ban, with local media reports that some wet markets and supermarkets were running out of poultry on the shelves.
The Straits Times of Singapore said chicken sellers had predicted the cost of chilled chicken could rise by as much as 30%, leading to a surge in the price of chicken dishes. The Singapore government has urged consumers to switch to frozen chicken and other alternative meats and is exploring new markets for fresh chicken.
But the fate of chicken rice, which can be found everywhere from hawker stalls to top hotels, is worrying. Tiantian Hainanese Chicken Rice, a popular restaurant that sources poultry entirely from Malaysia, reportedly said it would introduce pork and seafood dishes instead of using frozen chicken if it failed to find a new supplier.
Malaysia’s ban comes as countries around the world grapple with soaring food prices, in part because of the war in Ukraine. Ukraine is a major exporter of corn and grains, which are key ingredients in chicken feed.
India has also moved to protect its market, restricting exports of sugar and wheat, while Indonesia temporarily halted and subsequently cancelled overseas sales of palm oil.
In addition to the export ban, Malaysia has also revoked import licences for chicken and other food products in a bid to boost food supplies and curb prices amid public outrage. It had earlier capped chicken prices and distributed subsidies to farmers squeezed by rising chicken feed costs, in part because of a weaker Malaysian currency.
The move came as a surprise to Ismail’s government, which came to power in August and faces general elections next year. The government is also investigating claims that cartels control chicken prices and supplies.
The ban not only caused panic in Singapore, but also troubled small Malaysian poultry farmers who supply to Singapore to help maintain their businesses. The government did not say how long the export ban would last, but officials expect supplies and prices to return to normal within a month.
