Despite the cessation of subsidies and price control for chicken meat that commenced yesterday, the cost of chicken at Sibu Central Market remained constant. Observations at the CCK Fresh Mart outlet within the market revealed no signs of consumers engaging in panic buying as well.
Outlet manager Lau Kung Hung divulged that there had been no directives from their higher-ups regarding any changes in the chicken price. “If there’s a price hike, it won’t be anything more than a few sen,” she stated, adding that the situation was business as usual with no signs of panic buying. She further informed that the price at all seven CCK Fresh Mart outlets in Sibu remained unaltered as of yesterday. “We procure a daily supply of 500 birds from our own farms,” she added.
Nur Aafiyah Jubang, another poultry seller at Sibu Central Market, disclosed that representatives from the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living had visited the market earlier in the day to apprise them of the chicken price ceiling’s removal. “I was informed that sellers now have the freedom to determine their prices for whole chickens, inclusive of the head and feet. However, the price should not be exorbitant,” she stated.
Jubang intends to adhere to the market price, explaining that selling above other traders’ prices could adversely impact her business. The price she sets will be influenced by her supplier’s price and consumer demand.
“Even if there’s a price surge, it would only range between RM2 and RM3. Consumers are likely to accept such a modest price increase as long as it’s deemed reasonable,” she concluded. ― Borneo Post.
