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BUKIT MERTAJAM: Fresh chicken in the wet markets here now costs RM9.50 per kg, almost 50% more expensive than in March.
Traders claimed that the high price was caused by an increase in production costs.
They said suppliers were charging more due to lack of supplies from the farms.
Nur Hafidzin Jamil, who used to sell 1,500 to 17.00 birds daily before the Movement Control Order (MCO) began, said the chicken only cost RM4.90 per kg.
“After multiple hikes, especially in the past two weeks, we now receive our supplies at RM7.90 per kg.
“We have no choice but to set the retail price at RM9.50 per kg and we have seen bitter faces on some of our customers,” he said on Thursday (May 14).
Nur Hafidzin added that some of his fellow merchants lost their profits to satisfy regular customers.
“They are questioning the price increase and we are facing pressure from regular customers who buy in bulk.”
“We have to bear the cost of transportation and workers’ wages. I hope customers understand our situation,” he said.
Another trader, Mohd Hafizi Md Saad, said the high supplier-level price could be due to a shortage of chickens.
“During the MCO, there was a drastic drop in demand, therefore many farmers stopped raising chickens.
“Now that demand has returned, supplies are not arriving fast enough and this will take several months to recover,” he said.
A veteran trader in the market who just wanted to be known as Tan said the current price was the highest since he started his business 20 years ago.
“In the past two weeks, suppliers increased prices sevenfold and each increase was approximately 50sen.
“Customers are now walking away from our booths when they see the price.
“I used to sell about 100 chickens a day, but now I have a hard time finishing half of them by the end of the day,” he said.
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