The tiny city-state of Singapore imports nearly all of its chicken – a third of that from Malaysia, which has banned exports in a bid to curb food inflation
A plate of chicken rice is seen before it is delivered to a customer at a hawker centre in Singapore on 31 May. AFP
Across Singapore, citizens are worried.
Facing long queues, increased prices and warnings about supplies being disrupted, citizens of the tiny city-state are coming to a harsh realization – their beloved chicken rice dish is about to get more expensive, or even worse, become harder to find.
The hugely popular dish of poached chicken, rice and chili dip, often sold at the city-state’s ubiquitous open-air food courts at relatively inexpensive prices, is referred to as the country’s national dish.
Let’s take a closer look at why this is happening and what citizens, traders and authorities say:
Why is this happening?
Though Singapore is among Asia’s wealthiest nations, it is a small city-state that relies heavily on imports.
As per the Singapore Food Agency, nearly all of its chicken is imported: 34% from Malaysia, 49% from Brazil and 12% from the United States, according to data from Singapore Food Agency (SFA).
With food prices soaring around the world in the backdrop of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, climate change and pandemic-related supply disruptions, some Asian countries including India and Indonesia have resorted to protectionism.
On that list is Malaysia, which recently moved to stop exports of 3.6 million chickens a month, in a bid to curb food inflation.
Most chickens from Malaysia are imported to Singapore alive, and then slaughtered and chilled there.
This isn’t the first such food crisis.
In January, the fast food giants of KFC Australia and McDonald’s Japan admitted to experiencing a shortage of some of their quintessential menu items.
As per CNN Business, while KFC was struggling with its most important ingredient fresh chicken, McDonald’s was concerned with the shortage of French fries, the essential side snack the world over.
So much so that McDonald’s had to do the seemingly unthinkable: ration fries in the land of the rising sun.
What do authorities and citizen say?
Some might scoff, but for many Singaporeans, this is no clucking matter.
Even Singapore’s Prime Minister commented on the matter, saying: “This time it is chicken, next time it may be something else. We have to be prepared for this.”
Rachel Chong, speaking to the BBC, says she loves chicken rice so much she eats it three times a week.
“It is number one on my list. It’s comfort food [and] it’s easily accessible,” she says. A standard order at Ah Keat Chicken Rice, a stall where she eats, costs S$4 ($2.90; ?2.30).
One stallholder told the BBC: “I don’t think Singapore cannot have chicken rice. It’s like not having pizza in New York.”
Chicken prices “will definitely go up”, said Foo Kui Lian, founder of Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice, one of the best-known stalls selling the dish in Singapore.
“If (suppliers) raise prices by a lot we would have to raise ours a bit, or it’ll be difficult for us to survive.”
Owners of Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice told CNN while they will continue serving chicken-rice, they will stop serving other chicken dishes if they cannot secure fresh meat.
Daniel Tan, owner of a chain of seven stalls called OK Chicken Rice, told New Strait Times Malaysia’s ban will be “catastrophic” for vendors like him.
“The ban would mean we are no longer able to sell. It’s like McDonald’s with no burgers,” he said.
He added his stalls usually source live birds from Malaysia but will have to switch to using frozen chicken within the week and are expecting a “strong hit to sales” as customers react to the change in quality of the dish.
Chicken run
A day before the export curbs kicked in, a long queue formed at the stall as diners sought to get a taste of the dish before a feared surge in prices.
At the Katong Mei Wei Boneless Chicken Rice stall, locals were trying to enjoy themselves.
“Have to enjoy it while we can for as long as supplies last,” patron Lucielle Tan told CNN.
Office worker Meilan Lim was among those who bought the dish ahead of the restrictions.
“Even though I’m not really a chicken rice person, it’s just that sometimes you do have the craving,” she said.
“So if (the ban is) going to be lasting for a while, it’s going to be a problem for me.”
Some stall holders have already hiked their prices, and officials are warning about disruptions to chicken supplies.
The city-state’s food agency has advised consumers to buy only what they need, consider buying frozen instead of refrigerated chicken, or shift to different meats.
With inputs from agencies
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