Distress in Singapore as Malaysia bans chicken export

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Diners in Singapore are bracing for prices of their national chicken-and-rice dish to soar as neighboring Malaysia prepares to block exports starting Wednesday to increase supplies in its own markets and hold down surging prices. Beginning June 1, Malaysia will ban exports of 3.6 million chickens a month until domestic prices and production stabilize. The ban is felt most in Singapore which sources a third of its poultry from Malaysia. Almost all the chickens are imported live to Singapore, where they are slaughtered and chilled. Singapore consumers have rushed stock up on fresh chicken. Malaysia’s ban comes as countries worldwide grapple with soaring food prices, fueled partly by the Ukraine war.