According to industrialised agri-food company Japfa, some 23,000 live chickens arrived in Singapore via sea from Bintan. - PHOTO: SINGAPORE FOOD AGENCY
SINGAPORE, May 14 (The Straits Times/ANN): Singapore has a new source of live broiler chickens – an avian influenza-free farm in Indonesia.
The first batch arrived in Singapore on Saturday morning, announced Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment Koh Poh Koon in a Facebook post on Sunday.
This is the first time live chickens have been delivered to Singapore from Indonesia. Previously, Singapore imported live chickens only from Malaysia.
The move, said Dr Koh, will diversify Singapore’s import sources and strengthen the resilience of Singapore’s chicken supply.
Between June and October 2022, Malaysia halted the export of chickens to Singapore to address surging prices and a shortage of poultry in the country.
According to Singapore Food Agency (SFA) data, the Republic imported about 34 per cent of its chicken supply from Malaysia in 2021.
Singapore turned to other countries and increased the import of chicken from Brazil and Thailand.
In 2022, it also included Indonesia as a source for the import of chilled, frozen and processed chicken.
On Saturday, Dr Koh was at Jurong Port to witness the arrival of the consignment of live broiler chickens.
According to industrialised agri-food company Japfa, some 23,000 live chickens arrived via sea from Bintan.
Broiler chickens are raised specifically for meat production and bred for optimal health and size.
In a Facebook post on Sunday, the SFA said Saturday’s milestone was made possible by the collaboration of SFA, the Animal and the Veterinary Service (AVS), the Indonesian authorities and the industry.
It also said it is working with the AVS and the industry to “monitor and refine” the logistic processes of the supply chain to ensure food safety and animal health.
The agency noted that livestock, meat and egg items can be imported only from sources accredited by SFA and AVS.
In his Facebook post, Dr Koh urged people in Singapore to be flexible with food options.
“Even as we continue to diversify our import sources, we must be prepared for food supply disruptions from time to time,” he said.
“We can play our part by being flexible with our food options and choosing alternatives such as frozen or other protein options.” - The Straits Times/ANN
