KUALA LUMPUR: Two consumer bodies said yesterday a boycott of chicken is not the best solution to tackling the issue of high chicken price.
The Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (Fomca) suggested that the people reduce consumption of chicken instead while the Muslim Consumers Association of Malaysia (PPIM) felt that a boycott would affect the business of the small traders.
They were reacting to the call by Cuepacs to the country’s civil servants to look for cheaper alternatives to pricey items, especially chicken, starting next month.
Cuepacs has received support for its proposal from the Malay right wing group, Perkasa.
“If one eats chicken five times a week, perhaps one can cut down to thrice a week. It will be difficult to stop eating chicken altogether,” Fomca president Datuk N Marimuthu told Bernama.
He said lesser purchases and consumption of chicken would reduce demand in the market and force a drop in the price.
The rise in the price of chicken after a festival may be due to the price control during the festive period because the entrepreneurs need a mechanism to make back their profit, he said. The ceiling price of chicken during the recent festive period was RM6.35 per kg.
Marimuthu advised consumers to report traders who raise the price of chicken too high, and suggested the enforcement of a ceiling price for chicken.
PPIM secretary-general Datuk Dr Ma’amor Osman said the impact of any boycott should be felt by those responsible for the price hike instead of the innocent small trader.
“The small trader buys chicken with cash from the breeders. When there is a boycott, the small trader will be left with excessive stocks of chicken. The bigger traders will be able to keep stocks for a longer period,” he said.
Dr Ma’amor said the government should also monitor the cost of poultry breeding as it had a major effect on the price of chicken in the market.
He said the recent price hike could be due to higher prices for maize and soya bean which are used to make chicken feed. — Bernama