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Fresh broiler chickens from Malaysia are now available again in supermarkets and wet markets in Singapore.

Malaysia’s ban on exports of live broiler chickens was lifted on Oct. 11, 2022.

However, the price of the chicken is likely to be 25 per cent more expensive compared to the period before Malaysia's export ban, CNA reported, quoting suppliers.

Sellers unsure if Malaysia's lifting of ban will help business

Multiple sellers were further quoted as saying that they were unsure if the move will help their business.

The Straits Times reported that supply is limited as Singapore will likely receive 1.8 million chickens on a monthly basis from Malaysia, which is half of the 3.6 million monthly quota prior to the ban.

The owner of Hua Sheng Chicken said this could result in prices going up further by 30 to 40 percent, according to CNA.

FairPrice's app also indicated low stocks of Malaysia chicken at about 10 of its outlets.

In response to Mothership's queries, a spokesperson for FairPrice said:

"We are working closely with our suppliers to reinstate existing supply lines from Malaysia as we begin importing chicken from the country. More details will be shared when we have a more definitive timeline.

As a major food retailer, we will continue to employ our ongoing strategy of source diversification to protect consumers from supply disruption."

At least one party has voiced his hope that the lifting of the ban on fresh chicken will lower the demand and prices of frozen chicken.

The director of Katong Catering, Wayne Heng, was quoted by CNA as saying:

"Compared to the rest of the market users, we do not need to use fresh chickens. We are mainly using it for curry chicken or chicken rendang, so it is heavier on the taste, but you cannot really taste the difference.

Perhaps when they have more supply and prices are stable, then we will make the swap."

Mothership has also reached out to Cold Storage and Sheng Siong for more information the matter.

Low demand on Oct. 14 possibly because of Guan Yin's third birthday

Lianhe Zaobao further reported that on Oct. 14, few people were spotted at stalls in markets selling fresh chicken.

A stall owner at Chong Pang City Wet Market pointed out that the lack of people could also be due to Oct. 14 being Guan Yin's third birthday, which means more people will be eating vegetarian meals.

Another stall owner at the same market said that business has been poor for the day and speculated that this could be due to people having become accustomed to eating cheaper frozen chicken.

Background

The broiler is a chicken breed raised specifically for meat.

The export restriction was first imposed on Jun. 1, 2022 in response to a national shortage of chickens in Malaysia, along with warnings of fines and imprisonment for offenders who violate the restriction.

At the time, an estimated one-third of Singapore's chicken supply came from Malaysia.

In response, Singapore began sourcing for chicken from other sources, including Thailand and Indonesia, from which a first shipment of 50,000kg arrived on Jul. 15.

While Malaysia relaxed its restrictions in mid-June, to allow some types of chicken to be sold, such as live kampung and black chickens, some farmers in Malaysia expressed concerns that they might lose the Singapore market if the export ban continued.

The ban on broiler chicken was lifted further on Oct. 11.

Top photo via Google Maps & Unsplash