Govt to have over 4,000 metric tonnes of chicken buffer stock by end-December

KUALA LUMPUR: The government aims to have 4,536 metric tonnes of chicken buffer stock by the end of December to ensure enough supply and stable price of chicken, said Jihad Against Inflation Special Task Force chairman Tan Sri Annuar Musa

Annuar said the effort would be carried out by the Farmers Organisation Authority and the amount was sufficient for a week’s needs based on the chicken consumption rate of 1.8 million birds a day.

"This is something new that we will implement after we allow the product to be imported from several source countries and obtain stock from breeders in this country.

"It does not mean that we will keep the chicken for a certain period, but we will release it in the market in stages to ensure that the stock is always sufficient and the price will not increase," he told a press conference after chairing the special task force meeting at Parliament building here on Thursday (Aug 4).

The Communications and Multimedia Minister said the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry would monitor the stock of imported round chicken and local fresh chicken to prevent over-supply.

He added that the ministry will also monitor the supply of chicken stock from time to time and if there is an excess in supply, it will be allowed to be exported again, he said.

"We have received information that there is indeed a slight oversupply of chicken and the price has also started to stabilise, even lower than the ceiling price set, but the government has not made any decision regarding permission to re-export because we want to ensure that the supply is stable," he said. - Bernama