Malaysian chicken export curbs ruffle feathers

Malaysia’s move to cut exports of chickens to control soaring prices and combat domestic shortages ruffled feathers Tuesday, with neighbouring Singapore warning of supply disruptions.

The Southeast Asian nation is the latest country to curb food exports as prices surge, after India banned wheat shipments and Indonesia temporarily halted palm oil exports.

Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced late Monday that the export of up to 3.6 million chickens a month would be halted from June 1 “until prices and supply stabilise”.

“The government cares about and takes seriously the issue of rising prices and the current (low) supply of chickens that is hurting” Malaysians, he said in a statement.

The move followed mounting complaints in Malaysia but it triggered concerns in Singapore, a small city-state that relies in large part on its neighbour for food…