GEORGE TOWN: There is enough chicken for consumers in Penang for the Christmas and New Year festive period and supplies should last until early next year, traders say.
The end of price caps for the meat on Nov 1 had ended the dips in supply that consumers saw in the beginning of the year, while prices have remained mostly stable, they said.
In fact, the end of the price ceiling of RM9.40 per kg for standard chicken has seen some supermarkets being able to sell the poultry at below that price.
“Supply has been abundant in the past weeks. So far, I have no problems getting either fresh or refrigerated chickens,” said Terry Shabil Abdul Ga, a chicken merchant at the Taman Tun Sardon wet market.
The 48-year-old added that prices have mostly stabilised since the price ceiling was removed.
A check at several wet markets found that standard whole chicken was being sold at RM10 to RM11 per kg.
Another trader, Ahmad Kamal, 50, assured The Star that he would have enough chickens for the festive period.
“So far, we don’t have any supply problems. And the demand for the meat is also increasing,” he said.
Ahmad, who has been in the business for about 30 years, said sales have been the same despite no more subsidies from the government.
However, another trader at the Bukit Mertajam wet market Afizi Roslan, 35, said his sales have dipped.
“My sales have dropped by about 30% in the past few weeks. I think more people are buying chicken from the supermarket,” he said.
Sunshine Whole Mart Sdn Bhd marketing and communication manager Bryan Wong said his store was selling chickens at about RM8.80 per kg.
“Supply, so far, is adequate and there are no issues,” he said.
