By Mustakim Ramli
GOMBAK, May 24 — The sale of chicken under the state’s Ehsan Food Prices Intervention Programme which was implemented in December 2021 until Syawal this year, will be continued from June 1, as a short-term solution to the shortage of chicken supply.
State executive councillor for agriculture Izham Hashim said the programme will be held until Hari Raya Aidiladha and hoped the selling of chicken at prices lower than the market will be able to help consumers who are burdened with the escalating price of the food item.
“We will ensure that the number of chickens (sold) will be increased from 4,000 a day to 10,000 to cover the shortage of supply.
“The Selangor government understood the (severity of the) situation and we care for the people. So the (chicken) selling price will be lower than the market prices,” he said during a media conference at the Gombak District Agriculture Office.
He said the initiative will involve cooperation from the Selangor Agricultural Development Corporation (PKPS), Koperasi Warga Hijrah Selangor Berhad (Kohijrah), the Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority (Fama) and several other agencies.
“The chicken will be sold at 67 outlets. Selangor is currently experiencing a shortage of supply of up to 50 per cent, as the demand is for 174 million chickens a year, but only 84 million are produced,” he said.
He said the high demand for chicken supply was because the state has a population of 6.7 million people.
“In one season which is two months, 14 million chickens are produced in Selangor, which comes to 84 million chickens a year. Based on per capita count, each individual consumes 46.8 kilogrammes (kg) per year or 3.9 kg per month, which means two chickens per person each month, so that means Selangor needs to produce 174 million chickens a year.
“Yet our production is less than 50 per cent of the demand and not all chickens in Selangor are sold in the state, as some are sold outside or to food processing companies,” he said.
Previously, Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari said the Ehsan Food Prices Intervention Programme had successfully benefited 60,000 families since it was implemented in December last year in more than 50 locations in the state.
The initiative with the concept of Jualan Prihatin Rakyat gives the public the opportunity to get an adequate supply of fresh food items such as chicken, fish, meat, eggs and vegetables.
