Singapore warns of supply disruptions as Malaysia curbs chicken exports
- Some stalls selling chicken at fresh produce markets in the city state warned they might have to close temporarily as a result of the ban
- Around a third of Singapore’s chicken imports came from Malaysia in 2021, according to the city state’s food agency
Malaysia’s move to cut exports of chickens to control soaring prices and combat domestic shortages ruffled feathers Tuesday, with neighbouring Singapore warning of supply disruptions.
The Southeast Asian nation is the latest country to curb food exports as prices surge, after India banned wheat shipments and Indonesia temporarily halted palm oil exports.
Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced late Monday that the export of up to 3.6 million chickens a month would be halted from June 1 “until prices and supply stabilise”.
“The government cares about and takes seriously the issue of rising prices and the current (low) supply of chickens that is hurting” Malaysians, he said in a statement.
The move followed mounting complaints in Malaysia but it triggered concerns in Singapore, a small city state that relies in large part on its neighbour for food supplies.
Around a third of Singapore’s chicken imports came from Malaysia in 2021, according to the city state’s food agency.