KUALA LUMPUR: The Agriculture and Food Industry Ministry (MAFI) has clarified that the permission to import frozen chicken from Thailand and China is only a temporary measure.
Such imports will cease once supply from within the country is sufficient and its price stabilises said its minister, Datuk Seri Ronald Kiandee.
He said at present the import of chickens was being handled by several companies that were permitted to import 10,000 metric tonnes or 5.5 million chickens a month.
Kiandee said the permission was only given for three months from December 2021 to February 2022 with strict monitoring being put in place by MAFI.
"In early December there was a shortage of chicken so prices soared and our records show we had a low supply of chicken in the market when the economic sector reopened. So we needed to increase the supply (by importing).
"We are giving temporary flexibility to cover the shortage, if local chicken production is sufficient and the price is stable, we will stop immediately (the import)," he told BH, today.
He was commenting on a BH survey at several locations yesterday which found that the price of wet goods including chicken saw a drop in prices after the government expanded the Malaysian Maximum Family Price Scheme (SHMKM) from yesterday.
Deputy Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Rosol Wahid also informed that the SHMKM compliance inspection found that the price of controlled goods showed a decrease, including chicken.
"Some items listed as price-controlled items such as fresh chicken under SHMKM phase two showed a decrease and the price level is more stable in the Peninsula compared to the maximum price set in first SHMKM phase which lasted from Dec 7 to yesterday," he said.
Commenting on fish supply, Kiandee said the country had sufficient stocks of frozen fish in the custody of the Malaysian Fisheries Development Authority (LKIM) and the National Fishermen's Association (NEKMAT).
"When there is a shortage in the market, we will release the stock.
"We in the ministry are constantly monitoring the continuity of the country's food supply, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic and due to floods across the country," he said.
On Dec 1, Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob instructed MAFI to import chicken and release frozen fish stocks to enable the people to get supplies at lower prices.