KUALA LUMPUR: Traders are worried that the low chicken supply today (Saturday) could see them run out of fresh birds for customers tomorrow.
Checks by NSTP at the Chow Kit market here today found that fresh chicken was sold out as of 8.30am.
Chicken trader Mohamad Tamimi Md Sukor, said poultry prices increased three weeks ago during the Hari Raya Aidilfitri period with lower than usual supply since Friday.
"I made a huge order for fresh birds, but they arrived in smaller quantity," he said.
On Friday, Federation of Malaysian Breeders Associations (FLFAM) said a poultry production company in Jasin, Melaka had to close operations temporarily due to hot weather and insufficient workers which had affected the growth of chickens.
Another chicken trader, Ali Ahmad, said the birds were ordered by retailers from suppliers in large quantities, but today they received limited quantity.
"I ordered around 300 chickens a day, but from yesterday, the supplier only supplied 50 birds and tomorrow I am sure there will be no chickens at all except Ayam Pencen (spent fowls)," he said.
"When I asked the suppliers, they said there was no stock and attributed this to a supply problem," he said.
"When this happens, we also become victims, not only consumers. Suppliers do not give us the price recommended by the government so the 'margin' of profit is very low. If you want to put a high price, consumers are burdened," he said.
"The price of chicken from the supplier is RM8.70 and is sold for RM 8.90 with an additional 60 sen for cutting the bird," he said, who has been trading in the market for over ten years.
Consumers are affected by a lack of chicken supply.
Housewife, Siti Hajar Mohd Rawi, 54 had shop at different locations for fresh chicken.
"I always buy fresh chicken near my house in Petaling Jaya, but today the chicken there has run out. So I came to buy it at Chow Kit once to buy other things,"
"I am surprised that in a few months the price of chicken shoots up so much and there is such a shortage of the item in the market. Pity the poor. Hopefully, the government monitors this."