PETALING JAYA: A Kelantan trader has said he can sell chicken below the ceiling price of RM9.40 per kg. If his claims are true, the question then is why others cannot do the same?
Zukila Deraman, 44, said he buys his stock at between RM5.60 and RM6.30 per kg.
“The difference is I buy my stock live. After processing, the cost per chicken becomes RM6.50 to RM7 per kg. Even if I sell below RM8 per kg, I can still make a profit,” he told theSun.
Zukila, who is also known as Jukee Ayam, said he sells about 10,000 chickens per day from his stalls throughout Kelantan. With the government’s ceiling price for chicken set at RM9.40 per kg, the price for a whole chicken comes to between RM13.50 and RM18.80, a difference of RM5 to RM10 compared with Zukila’s prices.
A video of Zukila has been widely viewed online after some of his customers shared that he was selling chicken at RM6.90 per kg. However, the price later went up to RM7.50 as larger chickens were offered.
He claims the price of live chicken from farmers has not changed and is stable at RM5.80 per kg.
“The middlemen are the ones responsible for price increases. Consumers must play their role to buy only from sellers who offer reasonable prices. Do not give in to their demands for a higher price,” he said.
Checks at the Chow Kit wet market in Kuala Lumpur showed whole chicken and live ones being sold at RM9.40 per kg.
A chicken seller who only wanted to be known as Azri said the price was the same for live or processed chicken at the wet market.
“I don’t know where the seller from Kelantan gets his supply, but here we sell our chicken at the government recommended price,” he said.
Chickens sold at the Chow Kit market are between 1.7kg and 2.2kg each, bringing the price to between RM16 and RM21 per chicken. Azri said he usually sells between 40 and 50 chickens per day but had only sold an average of 12 per day over the last few days.
“Customers go to wholesalers, maybe because the price is cheaper there,” he said, adding that he would continue buying from his usual supplier because he believes the problem is seasonal.
“I have been selling chicken for more than 20 years. Prices usually go up near the holiday season and would stabilise after a week or so.”
Azri said the current problems with supply may also have led to consumers not buying chicken from wet markets.
“They buy all their needs here except for chicken. They probably go to wholesalers or supermarkets.”
Consumer Aishah Hamdan, 43, said she went to the Chow Kit wet market to buy supplies for Hari Raya Aidiladha.
“I like shopping here although some items have increased in price. But mostly, the items are affordable. I don’t buy chicken here as I prefer to get it from the supermarkets as it is far cheaper there.”
She said she noticed price increases in other items such as coconut paste, coconut leaves (daun ketupat) and red chillies.
“Most of the price increases are bearable, but it is difficult to buy cooking oil these days as the supermarket limits it to two bottles per family, and there is none available here at the wet market,” she said.
