Consumers mulling cutbacks in chicken, egg diet as possible price increase looms

WHEN the price of his favourite roast chicken from his neighbourhood bakery in Happy Garden, Kuala Lumpur, increased from RM12.90 per bird in 2021 to RM21.69 in January this year, graphic designer Dean Tan decided he would no longer buy it.

“It is just too expensive. I have told myself to cut down on my food expenses, as the prices are getting ridiculously high.

“Now with the move to float chicken and egg prices, it will go up again,” he added.

Tan is considering a switch to other protein alternatives such as fish or tofu.

“Cutting down on food is the only thing I can do, as other expenses like bank loans and insurance payments are beyond my control,” he said.

Freelance project manager Kavita Subramaniam, 51, who is a single mother of two teenagers, worries that chicken and eggs will become unaffordable after June 30.

“As it is, my family and I only have chicken once a week.

“It has been difficult getting eggs in the last few months,” she said, adding that her children need an egg a day for their protein intake.

Kavita suggested that the government step in if prices increased too much after the float.

Musician and father-of-one Rithan Vijay, 43, said his main concern with price fluctuation was budgeting.

“The unpredictability would make it difficult for us to plan our food budget,” he said, adding this could lead to declining demand for chicken and eggs.

School van driver Sabariah Saleh, from Kampung Malaysia Raya, said she was considering setting up a chicken coop behind her house to rear chickens for eggs.

“When I was growing up in Maran (Pahang), my grandmother used to rear chicken.

“We had at least five chickens, and I remember collecting the eggs every morning.

“Sometimes, we could get at least 20 eggs,” said the 45-year-old.

Private tutor S. Gayathiri, 41, believes that the move to float the price of chicken and eggs is a blessing in disguise.

“I have been toying with the idea of becoming a vegetarian since last year.

“In fact it was one of my new year’s resolutions for 2023.

“I think the time has come to put my resolution into practice,’’ she added.