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Sunday, November 13, 2022

Inhalable CanSino vaccine rolled out

Take a deep breath: A health worker administering a dose of CanSino Biologics inhalable Covid-19 vaccine in Lianyungang in China’s eastern Jiangsu province. — AFP

Inhalable Covid-19 vaccine clinical trial ongoing, says Khairy

CanSino Biologics’ inhalable Covid-19 vaccine. Photo: Shanghai Media Group via AP

BEIJING: Residents in the capital can start making appointments for an inhalable Covid-19 booster made by CanSino Biologics, media reported, while those in Tianjin city can now get it as the Chinese pharmaceutical firm distributes more supplies.

CanSino’s vaccine, called Convidecia Air, is an aerosol version of an inactive shot and was approved as an emergency-use booster by Chinese health authorities in September.

The financial hub of Shanghai and 13 cities in the eastern province of Jiangsu have already introduced the CanSino vaccine as a booster, the company had said.

Appointments for the vaccine in the capital can be booked on a mobile phone app for residents of one district, the official Beijing Business Daily reported yesterday.

Increasing the uptake of vaccinations is vital for China, which is sticking resolutely to its strict zero-Covid policy that aims to prevent large-scale outbreaks and fatalities, especially among the elderly.

China has relied on domestically produced, inactivated shots and has yet to import, or introduce its own version of an mRNA vaccine.

According to official data, more than 90% of China’s population has been vaccinated. StarPicks Tired of smudges, dirt and scratches on your lens getting in the way of clear vision?

Regarding the efficacy of its vaccine, Hong Kong-listed CanSino said in a statement on Wednesday that studies showed “using Convidecia Air as a heterologous booster generated much stronger immune responses than those induced by a homologous inactivated vaccine booster”.

The vaccine will be available in Tianjin from Thursday, it said.

The Hong Kong shares of CanSino rose as much as 11.8% to HK$119.80 on Thursday, their biggest gain since Nov 4. — Reuters

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Tuesday, July 19, 2022

Rush for fourth shot as Covid-19 cases rise

Staying protected: Leow Pui Ling, 28, getting her second booster shot at iHEAL Medical Centre in Kuala Lumpur. — FAIHAN GHANI/The Star

PETALING JAYA: There has been a 51% increase in the number of people being vaccinated over the last two weeks, as new Omicron sub-variants create fears of another Covid-19 wave.

According to figures from ProtectHealth, vaccination went up from 38,822 during the week of June 27-July 3 to 50,774 during the week of July 4-July 10, a 31% increase.

ALSO READ:Better safe than sorry, say those getting second booster

From the week of July 11-July 17, there was a 51% increase to 76,433.

As infections and hospitalisations rise across the country, health experts are also calling for Malaysians, especially those over 60 as well as the medically vulnerable, to get their second booster shot.

This is because the Omicron sub-variants are highly contagious and can bypass immunity from a past infection or vaccination.

Public health expert Prof Dr Moy Foong Ming of Universiti Malaya said the Omicron sub-variant BA.5 could evade antibody responses in people with previous Covid-19 infection and those who had been fully vaccinated and boosted.

“Reinfections may be inevitable but boosters will help provide protection against severe symptoms, hospitalisation and even death.

“Even though the BA.5 does not seem to cause more severe symptoms compared to BA.1 and BA.2, the elderly and vulnerable groups will likely experience severe symptoms,” Prof Moy said.

She cautioned that if the total caseload increases tremendously, even with a low percentage of hospitalisation, the number will be a huge burden on the healthcare system.

“We don’t want to lose precious lives if it can be prevented,” she said.

For those below 60, it may not be necessary to take the second booster at this moment.

“If this group of individuals had received their third dose, they should be well protected from severe symptoms,” said Prof Moy.

“When new vaccines are able to bring a stronger immune response against all new variants, then a second booster may be offered to all.”

Prof Moy also said Malaysians should consider taking a flu shot if they were in the high-risk group, especially those aged 65 and above, and with chronic health conditions such as diabetes and weakened immune system.

Public health expert Prof Dr Sharifa Ezat Wan Puteh of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia said sub-variants BA.4 and BA.5 were known to evade immunity, hence breakthrough infections could occur.

“The risk will be reduced if you obtain another booster,” she said.

“The elderly, immunocompromised, as well as people with morbidities and frontliners should be prioritised for a second booster. But now, even those who are young and have received only two doses should get a third jab,” she said.

Prof Sharifa Ezat also reminded the public to get tested for Covid-19 and influenza if symptomatic, as these can mimic each other and it is possible to get infected with both.

“This impedes recovery. If possible, get vaccinated against both,” she said.

“The government should work on obtaining supply for flu tests and pushing the flu vaccine price down.”

Volunteers For Community Engagement and Empowerment For Covid-19 chairman Datuk Dr Zainal Ariffin Omar reminded Malaysians to continue with good personal health practices such as wearing a face mask, avoiding crowded places, self-testing and quarantining if positive with Covid-19, as well as observing a good diet.

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Sunday, July 10, 2022

Latest Covid-19 Omicron BA.5 variant has landed Malaysia!

Five things we've learned about the BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron variants

Malaysia entering new Covid-19 wave as Omicron BA.5 variant hits

Malaysia is entering a new Covid-19 wave, with the Omicron BA.5 variant already present in the country.

Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said the ministry had already detected five BA.5 variants through genomic sequencing as of June 30.

"This means that BA.5 is already present in the country. These cases were found through genomic sequencing on positive cases between May and June.

"There is a big possibility that BA.5 has already spread widely in Malaysia," he told a press conference at Parliament today.

Meanwhile, Khairy said the country has seen a 31 per cent increase in Covid-19 cases from July 3 to 7.

He informed that hospitalisations had also increased by 13.7 per cent, from 835 patients last week to 968 patients this week.

"A majority of the cases are in categories one and two. This is something that we have expected," he said.

https://dai.ly/x8cbvyu

KUALA LUMPUR: Five cases of the fast-spreading Covid-19 Omicron BA.5 variant have been detected in the country, says Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin.

He warned the public that the ministry expected the number of Covid-19 cases to rise in the next few weeks as the newer Omicron variants spread easily.

ALSO READ: KJ: We may issue compounds if cases spike

Apart from these five cases, other cases of Omicron sub-lineage variants that have been detected were six cases of BA.2.12.1 and two incidents of BA.5.2.

“All these cases were detected between May and June. However, there are no cases of sub-lineage Omicron BA.4 recorded so far.

ALSO READ: Bracing for another wave of Covid-19 infections

“We are expecting that new infections will increase due to Omicron BA.4 and BA.5, especially the BA.5. This is because Omicron BA.5 spreads easily compared with previous Omicron variants BA.1 and BA.2,” he told a press conference here yesterday.

Khairy said the new Covid-19 wave should not be taken lightly as 4,020 cases were reported just on July 7.

ALSO READ: Many having second thoughts on second booster

From July 3 to 7, the ministry had already recorded 14,967 cases, which is an increase of 31% compared with the previous week’s 11,394 cases, he added.

There was also a 13.7% increase in hospital admissions to 968 patients during this period from the 835 patients in the previous week. Ten deaths were recorded.

He added that those who have completed their Covid-19 vaccination or had been infected previously could also be infected with this variant.

“Those who have not taken their booster, especially senior citizens and people who have comorbidities, should get their booster shot, as it is vital against the new wave of Omicron BA.5.

“A total of 7,393,199 (31.40%) people have not taken their first booster shot while 151,018 (6.06%) individuals have received their second booster shot as at July 7,” he said.

Khairy also said that the ministry’s technical committee was still looking into the need for a second booster shot among those aged 60 and below without any illnesses, while vaccination for those aged five years and below was still not recommended.

However, he said there were some people who used a loophole with the excuse of travelling to get a second booster shot.

The second booster is available free of charge at registered private vaccination centres listed at https://vaksincovid.protecthealth.com.my/find.

For those aged 18 to 59 in the immunocompromised category, Khairy advised they undergo an evaluation first before getting the second booster shot.

He also said that as at July 3, 4,001 patients who have taken the Paxlovid antiviral medicine showed no serious side effects.

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Financial literacy and bankruptcy

Stretching your ringgit: The importance of knowledge in this space cannot be more timely, especially when Malaysians are doing their level best to stretch their ringgit in order to cope with the increasing cost of living from inflationary pressures, which are spiralling out of control.

It is not enough to be good at your job. Managing your money well is as important as having good hygiene.

Lack of financial discipline reasons for bankruptcy

Using a credit card or apps wisely to accumulate points for future spending, waiting for bargains such as free shipping options or vouchers on ecommerce platforms on special days of the months to purchase necessities are just a few examples of being financially aware.

FINANCIAL literacy is an important agenda for a country’s economic well-being.

Most governments around the world would like for their citizens to be financially literate, be it entrepreneurs, working professionals, white collar or blue collar workers.

It is not enough to be good at your job. Managing your money well is as important as having good hygiene.

Recently, the Malaysia Department of Insolvency (MDI) reported that 287,411 people in the country have been declared bankrupt as of March 2022.

Between 2018 and May 2022, there was an increase of 46,132 new bankruptcy cases.

Of this number, 59% (amounting to 27,365) of the bankrupt were aged below 44.

This led to the Prime Minister highlighting his concern on youth bankruptcy and requesting for the relevant authorities to look into this matter including potentially revamping the laws on insolvency.

It is important to note that due to the pandemic, our government has in fact raised the threshold of bankruptcy from RM50,000 to RM100,000 in 2020.

Many legal actions against defaulters of loans were also postponed due to the effects of the pandemic.

Personal loan main reason for default

Diving into the MDI’S statistics, I realised that the main reason for bankruptcy was due to default of personal loans with an overwhelming percentage at 42%, followed by hire-purchase loans (15%) and business loans (13.5%).

Personal loans have often been touted to charge exorbitant interest rates, especially credit card schemes.

A simple illustration: when month end comes, there are often three options to settle your credit card bill, namely statement balance, outstanding sum or minimum sum.

The right thing to do would be to settle the statement balance. Settling the outstanding sum in full means that the credit card user is paying down the credit card debts which isn’t yet due, which defy the purpose of utilising credit card in the first place.

Paying only the minimum sum, which many people often do, would lead to one incurring high interest on the outstanding credit card debt.

This would snowball to levels which are highly exorbitant.

The statistics above is telling because it shows that excess consumption pattern is a key reason for bankruptcy.

In terms of youth bankruptcy, it makes sense especially with social media propagating binge spending, splurging on luxury goods and the shallow mindset of keeping up with the Joneses.

Living beyond one’s means owing to social pressure simply isn’t going to go out of fashion, more so in today’s digital age.

Proliferation of get-rich-quick schemes and scams

There is no doubt the lack of financial discipline and bad spending habits are reasons which contribute to this social issue.

However, I believe another major contributing factor is the increasing number of scams and get-rich-quick schemes. These schemes often tap on the most vulnerable segment of the society, namely those who are greedy, desperate or naive.

Greed is one of human nature’s biggest weaknesses. Despite the evolution of mankind, this primal instinct has continued to flow through the DNA of mankind. I do not doubt the importance of greed as a driver for progress, but too much and it becomes fatal.

Desperation, especially in the case of hardcore poverty or extreme emergency without anyone to rely on, there is hardly any choice to seek help.

We have seen this episode played out, especially in the times of economic recession, high unemployment not unlike the period of pandemic we have all been through recently.

Of the three, the most addressable would be the one who is naive, in short, one who lacks the necessary knowledge.
Stretching your ringgit

The importance of knowledge in this space cannot be more timely, especially when Malaysians are doing their level best to stretch their ringgit in order to cope with the increasing cost of living from inflationary pressures, which are spiralling out of control.

I would like to put it on record: Accumulating financial knowledge does not mean becoming an investment prodigy. It can be as simple as understanding the various options for people to stretch their money.

One of the most common savings hacks would be to channel your monthly salary to a “flexi” or “semi-flexi” home loan account. This simple gesture every month automatically lowers the interest on the loan to be incurred.

Your unused funds will be utilised to further reduce the principal and interest while you have the option to withdraw the excess amount if you require to use the funds.

Of course, the best thing to do is to be prudent in spending, in essence practicing delayed gratification at all times.

The best investment is knowledge

It is a good sign that there is an increasing number of licensed financial professionals such as Chartered Financial Analysts and Certified Financial Planners out there today.

We also do see many more collaborative efforts between industry professionals working hand in hand with regulators in adopting social media to reach out to the masses.

With the advent of social media, it is also crucial to sift out genuine financial literacy advocates. After all, there are many free resources online today.

It is not to say the smartest people from the top of their professions cannot be hoodwinked. We have seen how 34-year-old Ng Yu Zhi of Envy Asset Management and Envy Global Trading swindled prominent people like the general counsel for Temasek Holdings Pek Siok Lan, criminal lawyer Sunil Sudheesan, ex-president of the Law Society Thio Shen Yi, chairman of Vickers Capital Group Finian Tan and CEO of Chuan Hup Holdings Terence Peh, among others.

This purported nickel trading scheme amounting to S$1bil (Rm3.2bil) was the largest fraud or Ponzi scheme in Singapore’s history. The best part, red flags were obvious where both of the perpetrator’s entities above were not licensed by Monetary Authority Singapore and he was promising 15% returns in three months to his clients.

Ultimately, it comes down to the individual and a good sense of financial awareness when managing one’s own hard-earned money.

The best investment is in yourself. Whether it is learning a new skill or advancing your education, self enrichment gives the best return on investment.

As Benjamin Franklin once said, “An investment in knowledge pays the best interest”. He can’t be wrong considering his face is literally on the US dollar bill even till today. - StarBiz,

Ng Zhu Hann, the CEO of Tradeview Capital. He is also a lawyer and the author of “Once Upon A Time In Bursa”. The views expressed here are the writer’s own.

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BANK NEGARA RAISES OPR TO 2,5% , Still a good hedge against inflation

CLICK TO ENLARGE PETALING JAYA: The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of Bank Negara has increased the overnight policy rate (OPR) by...

A July jolt Handy price checker apps for you

Consumers can download them to look for low prices and comparisons Cooking oil prices are up as of today, so are those of chicken and ...

A matter of Cost: Stretching their ringgit further

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MALAYSIA Upbeat GDP forecast between 5.3% and 6.3%, Inflation to hover between 2.2% and 3.2% in 2022

BANK NEGARA RAISES OPR TO 2,5% , Still a good hedge against inflation

CLICK TO ENLARGE

PETALING JAYA: The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of Bank Negara has increased the overnight policy rate (OPR) by 25 basis points to 2.25% amid positive growth prospects for the local economy.

“For the Malaysian economy, economic activity continued to strengthen in recent months.

“Exports and retail spending indicators affirm the positive growth momentum, supported by the transition to endemicity, “ the central bank said in a statement yesterday.

The ceiling and floor rates of the corridor of the OPR are correspondingly increased to 2.5% and 2%, respectively.

The OPR, which is a benchmark rate that allows banks to determine their lending and deposit rates, had been reduced by a cumulative 125 basis points during the course of the Covid-19 pandemic, bringing it to a historic low of 1.75%.

Yesterday’s increase was a second consecutive one after a 25-basis-point hike in May, which was also the first time the OPR was raised since the onset of the pandemic.

OCBC Bank economist Wellian Wiranto said the fact that the central bank had not gone more “ballistic” with a 50-basis-point hike yesterday speaks of a “heavy preference for a gingerly approach in tightening.”

“That is a prudent thing, given how global recession fears are on the rise,” he said.

Going forward, he said he expects at least one more 25-basis-point hike this year that will be seen as a further normalisation of policy rate rather than outright tightening.

“It might then pause in the last meeting of the year in November to assess the balance between inflation and recession risks before undertaking any action thereafter,“ he added.

In its statement, the central bank said the extent of upward pressures on inflation will remain partly contained by existing price controls, fuel subsidies and the continued spare capacity in the economy.

“The inflation outlook continues to be subject to global commodity price developments, arising mainly from the ongoing military conflict in Ukraine and prolonged supply- related disruptions, as well as domestic policy measures,“ it said.

Year-to-date, headline inflation averaged 2.4%.

.In its statement, the central bank said the extent of upward pressures on inflation will remain partly contained by existing price controls, fuel subsidies and the continued spare capacity in the economy.

“While it is projected to remain within the 2.2%-3.2% forecast range for the year, headline inflation may be higher in some months due mainly to the base effect from electricity prices.

“Underlying inflation, as measured by core inflation, is expected to average between 2% and 3% in 2022, as demand continues to improve amid the high-cost environment,” it said.

Bank Negara said that in recent months, the unemployment rate had declined further, with higher labour participation and improving income prospects.

“Looking ahead, while external demand is expected to moderate, weighed by headwinds to global growth, economic growth will be supported by firm domestic demand.

“Additionally, the reopening of international borders since April 1 would facilitate the recovery in tourism-related sectors.”

Nevertheless, the central bank warned of downside risks to growth that continue to stem from a weaker-than-expected global expansion, further escalation of geopolitical conflicts and worsening supply chain disruptions.

“Even as it continues to project a strengthening economic recovery, things are likely to turn less rosy from here,” OCBC’s Wiranto said.

Bank Negara said that at the current OPR level, the stance of monetary policy remained accommodative and supportive of economic growth.

“The MPC will continue to assess evolving conditions and their implications on the overall outlook to domestic inflation and growth.

Rakuten Trade head of equity sales Vincent Lau told StarBiz yesterday’s hike was a reflection of confidence in the continued growth of the Malaysia economy.

“Any adjustments to the monetary policy settings, going forward, would be done in a measured and gradual manner, ensuring that monetary policy remains accommodative to support a sustainable economic growth in an environment of price stability.”

Meanwhile, Rakuten Trade head of equity sales Vincent Lau told StarBiz yesterday’s hike was a reflection of confidence in the continued growth of the Malaysian economy.

“With the increase in our benchmark rate, this may also stem the outflow of foreign money, which will technically see higher returns alongside the higher rate,” he said.

That said, the stock market fell over 20 points at the close yesterday after the hike was announced.

“It was probably a knee-jerk reaction as the hike had more or less been priced in already,” Lau said.

Bursa Malaysia’s fall was also in line with most regional markets as the fear of a global recession continued to rear its ugly head.

Nevertheless, at the close of the market yesterday, lenders like Malayan Banking Bhd and CIMB Group Holdings Bhd finished higher as investors bought the stocks, banking on a higher OPR that could likely boost the lenders’ earnings.

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Still a good hedge against inflation

https://www.thestar.com.my/business/business-news/2022/07/07/still-a-good-hedge-against-inflation

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Wooden table between armchair and couch in cozy living room interior with pouf and ficus

Friday, July 1, 2022

A July jolt Handy price checker apps for you

Consumers can download them to look for low prices and comparisons

Cooking oil prices are up as of today, so are those of chicken and eggs and it’s going to be a tough few months for consumers. However, economists expect the hard times to ease by the end of the year. Until then, a special task force, which met for the first time yesterday, will try to keep the pain bearable.

What to expect from today:

End of vehicle sales tax exemptions

Subsidy removed for 1kg, 2kg, 3kg and 5kg bottled cooking oil

Subsidy retained for cooking oil in 1kg packets

Increase in pet food prices

New ceiling price of standard chicken at RM9.40 per kg

Retail price of eggs: Grade A: 45sen Grade B: 43sen Grade C: 41sen

Those with driving licences expired on or before Jan 13, 2021, need to retake driving tests

No change in water and electricity tariffs for domestic users in Peninsular Malaysia

Large-scale enforcement against illegal immigrants to start

As Malaysians brace for price increases in essential food items such as chicken, eggs and cooking oil, local price checker apps may be handy to help find the lowest prices available.

The Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry is encouraging consumers to download its Price Catcher application, which allows users to view the prices of specific items from various locations and make comparisons.

For example, consumers can check the price for 1kg of chicken thighs and see how they are priced at different locations, such as grocery stores, supermarkets and more.

The prices will be displayed from the lowest to highest. Consumers will get information based on their own location data.

The app also allows users to view prices of goods from various ecommerce stores, though the choices are limited to only three platforms.

According to the ministry in a Facebook post on June 27, the information on the app is updated daily by its price monitoring officers based on checks at various locations.

Price Catcher is free to download from the Google Play Store and Apple App Store.

Price Catcher - Apps on Google Play /
Price Catcher on the App Store

Another price checker app that consumers can consider is Hargapedia.

Hargapedia - Compare Price, Check Deals, Get free vouchers

They can check for the prices of items based on specific brands – from online platforms such as Shopee to supermarkets like Jaya Grocer, Giant and Lotus.

The app will display dates to provide validity of the pricing.

The information will also be filtered according to data provided by users such as location, age and income level.

The app can also direct consumers to the online platform so that purchases can be made from the site or outlet.

However, the app does not indicate if an item has sold out. Hence, consumers will only find out once they have been directed to the shopping site.

Full price listings are also only available to users who register on the app.

Hargapedia can be downloaded from the Google Play Store, Apple App Store and Huawei

- The Star Malaysia

by ALLISON LAI, JOSEPH KAOS Jr, JUNAID IBRAHIM, GERARD GIMINO and ANGELIN YEOH

DOMESTIC LIVESTOCK AND POULTRY PRICES

Hike in chicken ceiling price brings relief to many

“The consumption of chicken and eggs is expected to be resilient despite global inflationary headwinds as they are one of the cheapest sources of protein.” Tan Kam Meng

Source: TA Research and Department of Veterinary Services

The spike in the average price of meat such as duck, beef and pork in Malaysia, other than chicken, where the price has been kept low via a ceiling price, has led to an even higher demand for chicken, says TA Research.

The higher ceiling price for broiler chickens and eggs may only provide “slight relief” to Malaysian poultry players, who have been battling margin compression for the past several months.

TA Research analyst Tan Kam Meng described the recently-announced hike in ceiling price for chickens as only “marginal”.

He also said that the increase in ceiling price for chicken from farm is unlikely to completely compensate for the cost borne by the breeders, especially smaller players.

“We believe the leeway for increase in average selling price (ASP) will slightly improve the earnings for both Leong Hup International Bhd and QL Resources Bhd as the input cost seems to have moderated recently.

“We reiterate ‘buy’ on Leong Hup and QL with respective target prices of 89 sen per share and RM6 per share,” stated Tan in a note issued yesterday.

Effective today, chicken will cost RM9.40 a kg, up by 50 sen, based on the new ceiling price set by the Cabinet.

The Cabinet decided not to float the price of chicken, a move that has brought relief to many quarters, especially consumers who are facing the brunt of inflation.

The Cabinet also set the new ceiling price of chicken eggs at 45 sen per egg for Grade A, 43 sen for Grade B and 31 sen for Grade C, all up by two sen each, in Peninsular Malaysia.

The new prices will be in effect until Aug 31.

Tan also said the higher ceiling price came as a compromise, taking into account the inflationary pressure faced by consumers and the increase in feed cost for the suppliers.

He noted that prices have been surging across the board for livestock, mainly due to increased feed price and demand recovery from the reopening of the economy.

The average prices of live ducks, cows and pigs in Malaysia have increased 8% to 32% compared to last year.

The spike in average prices of livestock other than chicken, where the price has been kept low via ceiling price, led to even higher demand for chickens, according to him.

“We remain optimistic on Leong Hup and QL as the increase in poultry’s ASP would provide a boost to profitability of their poultry segment.

“Furthermore, both poultry players are well positioned to capture market share of smaller farmers who left the business.

“The consumption of chicken and eggs is expected to be resilient despite global inflationary headwinds as they are one of the cheapest sources of protein,” he added.

In a separate note, MIDF Research said that new ceiling price would help to limit potentially larger adjustment that would add to the overall food inflation.

It also pointed out that the new ceiling price for chicken at RM9.40 per kg for Peninsular Malaysia is only an increase of 5.6% from the previous ceiling.

“So, this is smaller than the expected increase to around RM10 to RM12 per kg if chicken prices were to be floated.

“Meanwhile, the approval given to the Farmers’ Organisation Authority to bring more than 4,500 tonnes of chicken from Thailand is expected to stabilise chicken supply in the domestic market.

“We expect these measures will limit upward pressure on chicken price for now,” the research house said.

Going forward, MIDF Research foresees the government to continue exploring more initiatives to ease the upward pressures on food prices in the longer run.

-StarBiz By GANESHWARAN KANA ganeshwaran@thestar.com.my

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