Bernadette and Chen Lin

SINGAPORE/JAKARTA – Officials from Indonesia say they hope to sign an agreement with Singapore in the coming weeks. The city-state is trying to locate alternative suppliers after Malaysia cut off sales.

Malaysia has stopped exporting chickens to Malaysia this month in an apparent sign of global food shortages, supply chain issues and growing demand.

This had an immediate impact on Singapore, with street vendors and restaurants raising prices for Singapore’s de facto national dish chicken rice.

Susiwijono MOegiarso was a top official of Indonesia’s Coordinating Ministry of Economic Affairs. She said officials had held “technical conversations” with Singapore. They hoped that exports would begin in the month.

According to the Singapore Food Agency, (SFA), it said that they were “working closely” in an announcement with Indonesian authorities regarding accreditation of Indonesian as a source for chicken imports.

The surplus chicken production in Indonesia is the largest and most populous country of Southeast Asia, with over 270 million inhabitants.

Achmad Dwami, chairman of the Indonesian Pig Breeders Association told Reuters that Indonesia is producing 55-60 million to 60,000,000 birds each week. There’s a surplus between 15% and 20% for domestic consumption.

Dawami indicated that the Singaporean market, with an expected demand of 3 million-to-4 million birds per month could be a good option to close the gap.

Dawami explained that Singapore would like to import live chickens so they can keep their domestic slaughterhouses operating. Dawami also stated that Indonesian farmers preferred to export slaughtered poultry since they don’t have the experience to ship live poultry.

Dawami stated, “Hopefully in the next two weeks there will be realization. If we wait for months then we’ll miss the momentum.”

Malaysia lifted part of its ban on exporting premium chickens last Wednesday.

The ban on commercial broiler poultry exports – which make up most of Singapore’s imports from Malaysia – and all other chicken products will not be lifted.

Chicken, which is one of Malaysia’s most affordable sources of protein has seen its prices soar in the recent months due to a worldwide feed shortage that was exacerbated during the Russia-Ukraine conflict.