Malaysia halts chicken exports from June 1
Hanoi (VNA) – Malaysia will halt the export
of chicken from June 1 as the country faces a shortage of chicken along with soaring prices.
This is the latest country to impose restrictions on food
exports in response to rising prices. Earlier, India had issued a ban on wheat
exports, while Indonesia halted palm oil exports.
Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said on May 23 that the
ban on the export of chicken will be effective until production and prices stabilise.
The country exports 3.6 million tonnes of chicken
a month.
Malaysia’s move raised concern
for Singapore, which heavily depends on its food supply. According to the Singapore Food
Agency's data, about one-third of Singapore's chicken supply in 2021 was imported from
Malaysia.
Singapore warned that the ban could lead to “temporary
disruption of chilled chicken" but the country is working with importers to minimise
the impact on the market and call on people to buy food in line with their
needs.
Other Malaysian chicken export markets
include Thailand, Japan and Hong Kong (China).
In addition to the export adjustment
measure, the Malaysian authorities will seek to increase chicken production, remove some
import permits and investigate allegations related to price hike, Yakoob
said./.