Sales of chicken fell by 50% during Chinese New Year

Sales of chicken fell significantly over the Chinese New Year due to rising prices and a shortage of supply, according to the importers and sellers of SINGAPORE.

Stallholders selling chicken at wet markets that CNA visited on Tuesday January 31 said business was noticeably quieter over the festive period. Some saw up to 50 per cent fewer customers.

They pointed out that the price increase was due to several factors, including inflation and Malaysia's chicken export ban, which was implemented in June last year to address the country's domestic supply shortage.

The export ban was partially lifted in October for live broiler chickens.

Chicken prices have been hit by rising inflation at the same time.

In December, Singapore's food inflation rose to 7.5 per cent, according to official figures released last week. In contrast to the same month in 2021, meat prices were 14.7 per cent higher.

A whole chilled chicken is now costing an average of S $8.91 per kg, according to December data from the Singapore Department of Statistics. This compares to S $7.22 per kg in May, before Malaysia's ban, and S $8.39 in June, when the ban was kicked in.

The cost of chilled chicken wings went from S $10.43 per kg in May to S $11.67 in December.