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.�