Indonesia to start chicken exports to Singapore amid shortage

Indonesia will start exporting chicken to Singapore this week, its agriculture ministry said, with the aim to plug an ongoing shortage in the city-state following a ban on exports from key supplier, Malaysia.

The first shipment of 50 tonnes of frozen chicken, valued at 2 billion Indonesian rupiah ($133,467), was due to leave for Singapore on July 15, according to a statement by the Indonesian agriculture ministry.

Poultry company Charoen Pokhpand Indonesia expects to deliver a total of 1,000 tonnes of chicken meat to Singapore by the end of this year, and will increase supply according to demand, it said in a separate statement.

Malaysia, which supplies a third of Singapore’s chicken, had halted exports of the birds early last month after global feed shortages disrupted local production and prices.

The move had a knock-on impact in Singapore with restaurants and street stalls hiking prices of its de-facto national dish, chicken rice.

The ban has been partially lifted on certain premium chickens, but remains in place on commercial broiler chicken – which makes up the majority of Singapore’s chicken imports from Malaysia – and other types of chicken products.

Indonesia produces 55 to 60 million birds per week, with a surplus of around 15% to 20% after domestic consumption, Achmad Dawami, the chairman of the Indonesian Poultry Breeders’ Association.