Meat scarcity threatens chicken rice shops in Singapore

Chicken rice It is a very popular traditional food in Singapore. Singapore relies heavily on imported chicken from Malaysia. However, from the beginning of June, the Malaysian government announced a ban on chicken exports. The new regulation immediately affected and threatened the operation of traditional chicken rice shops in Singapore.

The Malaysian government has issued a ban on chicken exports since June for an indefinite period to ensure supply for the domestic market and stabilize prices. The decision has had a huge impact on neighboring Singapore, which relies on a third of its chicken meat from Malaysia. The loss of imported supplies threatens to increase the price of chicken, which currently stands at $3 a head, and makes it impossible for shops selling chicken rice to maintain operations as usual.

Mr. Daniel Tan, owner of a chicken rice restaurant in Singapore, said: “Most, if not all, chicken rice shops import fresh chicken for processing. As a result, Malaysia’s export ban has already been banned. leaving us with nothing left to sell to our customers. It’s like McDonald’s without burgers and Coca Cola without carbonated drinks.”

Lacking fresh chicken from Malaysia, Singapore may be forced to change the traditional way of preparing chicken rice by using frozen chicken imported from Brazil. However, this is not a good thing because using frozen meat is considered to reduce the taste of the dish.

Meanwhile, the ban on chicken exports also makes it difficult for chicken farmers in Malaysia. In the past, Mr. Abdullah’s chicken farm harvested 7 flocks of chickens a year, 45,000 each, but this year this number will be reduced to only 5 flocks. Besides the tension in food supply, now, with the export ban, Mr. Abdullah has difficulty finding output for his flocks of chickens until they are released.

Syaizul Abdullah, owner of a chicken farm in Malaysia, said: “If we ban the export, the countries that import chicken will find other sources, and as a result we lose business and it is difficult to sell. goods for them in the future after the ban is lifted. Therefore, this ban is only temporary, but the consequences are long-term.”

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