Govt to grant special permission for export of several chicken commodities

PUTRAJAYA: The government has agreed to grant special permission for the export of certain chicken-based commodities, effective immediately, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industries (MAFI) announced today.

The special permission is only for coloured broilers, including kampung chicken and black chicken; all chicken-based products; and day-old-chicks (DOC) parent stock, he said.

Starting June 1, Malaysia has stopped exporting chickens, namely live chicken, round chicken carcass, chicken meat cuts and chicken-based products to ensure the country's continuous chicken supply and food security.

In the statement, MAFI said the decision to grant the special permission was made after the ministry convened a series of detailed discussions with the chicken industry players and breeders associations relating to the export ban.

However, the ministry stressed that the export ban for commercial broilers, round chicken, chicken cuts and DOC would remain in effect.

"Physical control at all exit points will continue to be implemented by the Malaysian Quarantine and Inspection Services Department (Maqis) and any activity to export the commodities is not allowed.

"The export consignment of the commodities must be properly managed by the permit holder," MAFI said.

It said the government viewed seriously any abuse of the special permission.

"Any breach of this special permission, action under subsection 11(2) and 11(3) of the Malaysian Quarantine and Inspection Services Act 2011 (Act 728) will be taken and if found guilty, one is liable to a maximum fine of RM100,000, jail up to six years, or both.

"The government will continue to monitor the country's chicken supply, which is improving and expected to stabilise from this month onwards," it said.

On May 23, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said exports of up to 3.6 million chickens will be stopped from June 1 until chicken prices and production stabilise and this was as a short-term measure for the ongoing chicken shortage issue.

-- BERNAMA