MELAKA, Sept 8 — The Melaka branch of the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry (KPDNHEP) has issued four notices to three chicken producers and one importer following hikes in the prices of the item.
Its director Norena Jaafar said the notices were issued under the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act 2011 (AKHAP), between Aug 11 and today, to obtain detailed information on the sale and cost price at the producer and importer’s level in the three-year period prior to this.
“We are also inspecting 13 producers’ network involving wholesalers, retailers, breeders and farms to determine where the increase in prices started.
“There is a possibility that the hike in chicken prices occurred following the green light to dine-in which caused the demand for chicken to rise,” she told reporters after checking on the chicken prices at Lotus Peringgit here.
Also participating in the check was state Unity, Community Relations, Manpower and Consumer Affairs Committee chairman Datuk Ismail Othman.
To date, Norena said KPDNHEP had only received one complaint on the chicken price hike in the state but pro-active measures were promptly taken to identify its cause.
She said five groups comprising 30 Melaka KPDNHEP personnel were tasked with checking on the increase in the prices of the raw material throughout this week.
Meanwhile, Ismail said, to date, chicken was being sold at between RM5.99 and RM9.90 per kg and the prices differed depending the medium of sale such as supermarket, retailers and hypermarkets.
He said hike in chicken prices should not take place because the supply was obtained from local producers and there were several chicken producing factories in the state.
“We will look into this matter seriously to ensure there is no manipulation at any level which caused the hike and disrupted supply,” he added.
Source: BERNAMA News Agency