Soaring fame: Mohd Fahmi holding two of his hybrid turkeys at his farm in Balik Pulau. — LIM BENG TATT/The Star
‘Ayam piru’ preferred over chicken, with rise in orders ahead of festive season
BALIK PULAU: More people are falling in love with turkey meat as the bird is believed to be more nutritious than chickens.
And with the Christmas festival coming up, farmers in Penang, who breed a localised variety of turkey called “ayam piru”, have been flooded with orders from hotels and restaurants.
Breeder Mohd Fahmi Ismail said although chicken meat is tastier, consumers love turkey meat because it is high in protein but low in fat.
“Compared to chicken meat, turkey meat contains high protein and less cholesterol. That’s why more people are switching to consuming turkey now,” he said when met at his farm in Pulau Betong, here.
The 28-year-old is looking to sell about 1,000 birds this festive period mostly to hotels and restaurants on the island.
However, he is worried that a prolonged monsoon season could harm the health and growth of his birds.
“Turkeys don’t like the cold season, they like the warm weather. So to prevent the birds from falling sick, we feed them with special vitamins. Using quality feeds and a balanced diet ensures that they grow well,” he said.
Another breeder Muhammad Suffian Hashim said demand for the birds had increased this year.
“For now, I have received 500 orders from my customers for the year-end celebrations. I hope I’m able to sell 1,500 birds this year compared to the 1,000 the previous year,” he said when met at his farm in Pulau Betong.
Muhammad Suffian, 34, said besides the local variety, he also breeds a species from Thailand.
“The hybrid species is in demand especially from hotels and restaurants as the size of the bird is bigger compared to the local breed.
“Malaysians have also started to choose turkey as their main course compared to chicken or duck meat,” he said.
For several years, the price of fresh local turkey has remained unchanged between RM38 to RM45 per kg.
