AGRIBUSINESS group Japfa : UD2 0% said on Monday (May 15) that it has delivered 23,000 live chickens from Indonesia to Singapore. It is the first time such an arrangement has taken place.

The new shipment could open up opportunities to provide not just fresh chickens, but also other staple protein foods to Singapore, the company said in a statement.

Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment Koh Poh Koon said in a Facebook post on Sunday that the new shipment further diversifies Singapore’s import sources and strengthens the resilience of the country’s chicken supply.

As one of the largest poultry producers in Indonesia, Japfa believes it can meet Singapore’s demand for chicken.

The 23,000 chickens were raised in a farm under one of the company’s subsidiaries in Bintan, Indonesia.

Following the first export, Japfa said it would continue to invest in the Bintan project to support Singapore’s food security strategy.

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Singapore experienced a disruption in chicken supply between June and October last year, when surging prices and poultry shortage led to Malaysia halting the export of chickens to Singapore.

Singapore then turned to other countries and increased the import of chicken from Brazil and Thailand.

In 2022, it included Indonesia as a source for the import of chilled, frozen and processed chicken.

Shares in Japfa closed down S$0.005, or 2.2 per cent lower at S$0.225 on Friday.