AS THE food industry places greater emphasis on quality and diversity, Ayam Kampung Saga (AKS) – a type of free-range chicken breed – is gaining consumer interest.
Bernama reported that improved breeding standards and product innovation were also opening up wider opportunities for breeders in competitive markets.
Poultry breeder Suhaiti Ariffin, 53, said demand for AKS had increased, particularly in the southern part of Peninsular Malaysia, driven by the breed’s characteristics and a range of value-added products that catered to modern consumer preferences.
Aside from live and processed chicken, Suhaiti said products such as frozen chicken, smoked chicken and salted eggs made from AKS eggs were becoming key market attractions.
“Usually, salted eggs are made from duck eggs, but we’re now trying them with AKS eggs.
“It is starting to get some interest from consumers,” she said when met at her farm in Kampung Gadek, Alor Gajah, Melaka.
Suhaiti said product innovation had helped expand the market and improve competitiveness in the free-range chicken farming industry.
She said it also reduced reliance on fresh chicken sales, particularly during festive seasons, while downstream products played an important role in maintaining demand throughout the year.
“Ayam Kampung Saga offers its own advantages, including a shorter growing cycle of around three months and a larger size, with each bird reaching up to 2kg.
“This makes it more efficient to rear and more attractive to consumers,” said Suhaiti, who started free-range chicken farming 10 years ago.
Her fresh chicken is sold at about RM17 per kg and processed chicken at RM23 per kg.
Suhaiti said her products were now marketed in Melaka, Johor and Negri Sembilan, with demand also coming from other states.
Demand for chicks had also been encouraging, with sales reaching up to 2,000 a month.
However, Suhaiti said the main challenges facing the industry included rising livestock feed costs and higher prices of medication.
“However, with continuous promotion and production of more value-added products, I am confident that Ayam Kampung Saga has the potential to penetrate a wider market and become one of the main choices for consumers in the future.
“In fact, guidance from the course I attended under Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (Mardi) has been very helpful in developing my business, particularly in introducing this premium chicken breed to the market,” she said.
