ALOR STAR: Chicken supply for the domestic market will not be affected by the bird flu outbreak in the United States and Europe.
Agriculture and Food Security Minister Mohamad Sabu said the ministry was keeping tabs on the bird flu outbreak in the northern hemisphere.
"We are monitoring the situation. As for now the (chicken) supply is stable and we hope it will continue to stabilise.
"As for now Malaysia is not affected (by the bird flu outbreak), and the supply is recovering," he said after his working visit to Ayam Bismi headquarters here today, which was part of his three-day work visit to Kedah.
Mohamad was responding to a Malay daily report today which reported that the country would be facing a serious food security threat should the domestic chicken supply drop by 40 per cent come June.
The report, quoting sources from the chicken breeder industry players, claimed that the threat could come from the serious outbreak of bird flu in the West.
The sources had claimed the disruption would reduce daily chicken supply in domestic market from 2.2 million birds daily to1.3 million birds daily.
The sources were reported as saying Malaysia relied on parent stock from the European countries and US but the supply could be affected by the countries' move to impose stringent export conditions following the outbreak of the virus.
It was also reported that out of 22 local companies which produced parent stock, 10 of them were relying on parent stock imported from the northern hemisphere, especially European nations.