For decades, a third of Singapore’s poultry imports came from neighboring Malaysia. About 3.6 million live chickens are exported to Singapore each month, which are then processed and chilled.
However, on May 23, Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced a halt to live chicken exports to Singapore from June. The ban is an effort to address domestic food shortages.
The ban has had a devastating effect on Singapore, where chicken is a staple in the island nation’s signature rice dish, and it is difficult to replace fresh meat with frozen ingredients.
Foo Kui Lian's shop is always crowded. (Photo: SCMP)
Shortage of supply
The chicken rice crisis is the latest sign of food shortages around the world. The Russia-Ukraine conflict, the Covid-19 pandemic and extreme weather affecting supply chains have contributed to the shortages.
Ukraine is a major exporter of grain, a key ingredient in chicken feed. In Malaysia, feed shortages and high costs have led to rising chicken prices in recent months.
Many Singaporean traders are confident that poultry prices will rise sharply in the coming period. Currently, they pay $3 (about VND70,000) for a whole chicken and predict that prices will soon rise to $4-5 per bird as stocks dwindle.
Without fresh poultry from Malaysia, Singapore is left with frozen supplies from Brazil (48%), followed by 8% from the US and a group of other countries making up the remaining 10%.
'Can't sell chicken rice without fresh ingredients'
Foo Kui Lian, owner of the island's most famous restaurant, Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice, said he would stop serving chicken-related dishes if he could not ensure a supply of fresh meat.
"We will not choose to use frozen chicken because we want to ensure the flavor of the dishes. The restaurant will return to serving dishes such as fried tofu, fried pork ribs and shrimp salad," she said.
Mohammad Jalehar, a 50-year-old chicken seller at a small market in Bedok South, said: "The supplier said he was going to increase the price of chickens, maybe a dollar more each. But how can my customers accept the higher price?"
Similarly, Mr. Ah Ho, an elderly chicken seller, said the price of this food has been high since the Covid-19 pandemic.
"The price increase has made my life more difficult. No one knows what will happen next month or how long this shortage will last. With the situation as it is, it may be time for us to close the store."
The fear of a shortage of ingredients is also evident in the long queues outside chicken rice shops and meat stores across Singapore.
Singapore authorities have advised people not to hoard or overbuy frozen chicken. The country’s largest supermarket chain said it has a four-month supply of frozen chicken and will receive fresh supplies in two months.
