SIBU: The famous live chickens sold wrapped in old newspapers here is grappling with the times, leaving traders no choice but to make adjustments to their live chicken prices.
Justine Chiew, who trades at the Sibu Central Market said that several factors contributed to this rise in prices, affecting both him and his customers.
Trading for nearly two decades, he recalled that when he first started selling live chickens in 2011, the price per chicken was just about RM8.
“Today, it has to be sold at about RM20 or more each, depending on the size of the live chicken,” he told New Sarawak Tribune when met recently.
Chiew said his daily supply of around 60 live chickens from Rantau Panjang became costlier due to an increase in the supplier’s rates.
“The person in charge who I get the live chicken from increased its price. So I had no choice but to increase the price too.
“But it is understandable, because everything has increasef now including poultry feed.
“Even the old newspapers I use to wrap the live chicken have also seen a price increase at RM1 per kg,” he said, adding additional expenses for him have to do with having to buy nylon strings as well as plastic bags.
With the increase in prices of goods, he hoped the government will provide more assistance, especially to traders like him.
“Maybe the government can consider giving subsidies for live chicken? If not, if the situation (price increase) continues, the ones that will be affected are us – the traders,” he said.
Chiew first heads for Rantau Panjang, which takes him about 45 minutes, to obtain the live chicken before he starts selling at the market from about 6am until 2pm.
“On slower days when the chickens are not completely sold, I bring them home and feed them,” he said.
He added that during festive seasons, especially during the Gawai celebration, there is more demand and that he could sell up to 1,000 live chickens.
Meanwhile, a regular customer, Benlanda Chok, noted the hike in the price of live chicken.
“Last time the price for a fresh chicken was about RM15 each. But today it can go up to RM20-RM25 each.
“What to do, we also understand that everything has increased. The traders have no choice,” she said.
She also hoped the government would intervene to ease the burden on the public in facing the escalating cost of living.
