It's the first day of Ramadan, and the price of chicken in Alor Setar has increased to RM8.50 per kg, up from the previous RM7.80.

A survey at the Alor Setar market found that most traders had no choice but to raise the price saying it was due to an increase in ex-farm prices in the last three days.

A poultry trader, Mohd Lutfi Abdul Ghani, 57, said that he had reduced his daily stockpile of chicken from 100 to 70, for fear they could not be sold.

"There are consumers who complain, but some of them understand as well. We as traders cannot do anything, because the price of chicken at the farm has also gone up.

"Before, the farm price was RM5.90 and it has now gone up to RM6.40. Breeders justify the increase due to rising feed prices as well as the increase in prices for petrol and diesel, leading to higher transportation costs," he told Bernama in Alor Setar today.

Another trader, Wan Ahmad Fauzi Wan Ramli, 46, said the rise in price for chicken at the market was also due to heightened demand from consumers following a price increase for the kembong fish.

- Bernama