27 Sept 2007

PUTRAJAYA: Imports of fish and chicken will be allowed if there is a shortage for the festive season. 

Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the ministry and department officials were closely monitoring the market for any early signs of a shortage

“There is no shortage yet but our contingency plan is to import chicken and fish if the local poultry farmers and fishermen cannot meet the demand,” he told reporters after his weekly post-Cabinet meeting here yesterday. 

Muhyiddin said that if the poultry farmers, who are saddled with escalating production cost (especially the cost of animal feed), could not increase production, the Government would intervene. 

“We will allow the import of chicken from neighbouring countries to ensure consumers can still buy them at affordable prices,” he said. 

Likewise, he said fish would also be imported if bad weather caused supply to drop. 

Apart from fish and chicken, he said, there was adequate supply of meat and other agricultural produce like fruits and vegetables in the market. 

On another issue, he called on all Umno divisions to send their representatives to the Umno-initiated National Convention on Agriculture in late October. 

The convention is aimed at changing the mindset of Malays towards agriculture and the agro-based industry, as well as to get them to participate in the halal food industry.