KUALA LUMPUR — Prices of local produce remain under control, moving within a range of negative two per cent and 3.6 per cent, Economy Minister Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir said.
Key items such as chicken, retailed at an average price of RM9.57 per kg last week (May 18 to 21), while beef dropped by two per cent to RM38.45 per kg, he said at his weekly briefing on the global supply crisis today.
Prices were higher, however, for vegetables such as mustard greens, which rose 3.6 per cent to RM7.08 per kg, Akmal added.
He said the government continued to strengthen monitoring and enforcement efforts to ensure the prices of essential goods remain under control amid public concerns over the rising cost of living and food supply issues.
Overall, price increased involved only certain goods, but even then, there were still areas and traders that offered lower prices to consumers, he noted.
To ensure price stability, Akmal said the Plantation and Commodities Ministry will continue to study other medium and long-term mitigation steps such as enhancing price controls, and adopting anti-profiteering measures for agricultural inputs.
The plantation and commodities ministry will also work with the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry to improve the agribusiness sector’s logistics chain in response to the impact of the global supply crisis on the sector, he added.
The agribusiness sector is important because it contributes to the country’s exports and involves the income of smallholders, plantation activities, processing, logistics, and downstream industries, Akmal added.
“This trend needs to be given attention because logistical disruptions, rising input costs, and operational pressures can directly impact export competitiveness and the income of smallholders,” he said.
The Iran war is expected to lower the 2026 forecast for agri-commodity exports by 13.48 per cent, to RM170.2 billion. Malaysia also expects to decrease its agri-commodity imports, by 3.28 per cent to RM72.47 billion. – May 25, 2026