THE supply of fresh chicken is guaranteed to be sufficient until after the Aidilfitri celebration, said Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Alexander Nanta Linggi.

He said the ministry had held discussions with several large-scale poultry producers, and they had given assurances of adequate supply.

“After consultation with several large-scale poultry producers, they have assured sufficient chicken supply until after Aidilfitri,” he told reporters after inspecting the implementation of the Festive Season Maximum Price Control Scheme during the month of Ramadan, today.

On complaints by disappointed traders over the fixed retail price of RM7.90 for a standard chicken under the scheme, Nanta said that his ministry had consulted various parties before setting the price.

“Twelve items have been placed under price control nationwide, from retailers to wholesalers. They must follow the price fixed by the government at each stage.

“That is why these retailers should not lose their margins or profits because we have studied this carefully and made sure that traders are not affected,” he explained.

The SHMMP is implemented for 30 days, from April 21 to May 29, and a total of 12 essential goods are placed under four categories, namely, chicken, chicken eggs, beef and seafood.

Nanta said that the prices of chicken and eggs were set at the farm level, and traders or retailers should not face high prices when buying from wholesalers.

He also said that his ministry did not intend to review the ceiling prices of the 12 items under the scheme, which had been agreed to by stakeholders, despite calls from local beef traders.

“For now, I don’t want to make any changes (on ceiling prices), we don’t want to see flip-flopping.

“I hope the parties will not politicise this matter. We want to take care of everyone and not side-line any party. We look after both consumers and traders,” he said, adding that the implementation of the scheme was timely. – Bernama, April 22, 2021.