Malaysian Food Prices: Why Eggs And Chicken May Be The Next To Rise

Chicken and eggs are not luxury goods to most Malaysians. They are part of our everyday staples and are almost always readily available at home. From our morning plate of nasi lemak with egg to our ayam goreng at dinner, chicken and eggs appear on our dining table almost on a daily basis. Because of this, government subsidies have long kept chicken and egg prices affordable, making it easy to take their stability for granted.

But in 2025, the blanket subsidy was fully lifted. Today, as several cost pressures quietly build, that shift could mean we’re about to see prices at levels we haven’t experienced before.

Why Are Eggs And Chicken Prices At Risk? 

We’ve already established that chicken and eggs are staples in Malaysia. Its eaten by almost everyone, across all races and religions, and appearing on plates from breakfast to dinner. With demand this enormous and constant, any rise in supply costs is bound to hit our grocery bills sooner rather than later.  

One key factor is animal feed, which can make up to 70% of poultry production costs. Malaysia imports most of its feed ingredients, such as corn and soybean meal. This means when global prices go up or when the ringgit weakens, local farmers feel it almost instantly. And if you’re wondering why farmers can’t just switch to cheaper feed or give their chickens scraps, it’s because doing so would affect the quality of the meat and eggs, and you wouldn’t want that. 

To put this into perspective, even a slight increase in the price of feed can mean higher prices in retail. This is due to the fact that producers have tight margins. When prices increase, producers do not have much room to absorb the increase. As a result, these cost pressures are often passed down the supply chain, eventually leading to higher prices for consumers at grocery stores and supermarkets. 

So Will Prices Actually Go Up?

The short answer is: yes. You probably won’t wake up tomorrow to dramatically higher prices though so don’t start panic buying. But it is a very likely scenario if cost pressures along the supply chain continue to build, from feed to production to transport. Over time, these increases can quietly make their way onto your grocery bill. A RM1–RM2 increase here and there may not seem like much, but across weeks and months, it starts to affect household budgets. Since chicken and eggs are bought so frequently, they are one of the first places where people notice food inflation.

What This Means For Your Daily Spending

For the majority of households, it is not about cutting out chicken entirely but rather about the manner in which it is consumed. If the price of chicken increases by RM2/kg and a family uses 2-3kg of chicken every week, it is an additional expenditure of RM15-RM25 every month. Moreover, if a family uses 2 trays of eggs every week and the price increases by RM1.40 per tray, it is an additional expenditure of RM11+ every month. Though not drastic these changes are noticeable over time. However, over the course of a year, it amounts to an additional RM300+ spent on just these two staple items alone. The following are a couple of ways for Malaysian families to enjoy our favorite foods while at the same time dealing with the rising cost that comes with it.

• Switching between purchasing cut parts to whole chickens as they are usually cheaper
• Timing purchases around promotions or payday sales
• Buy from smaller farms or wet market vendors as they too would feel the impact of this rising cost
• Mixing proteins (e.g. tofu + chicken in one dish)

Staying Ahead Of Rising Food Prices

The factors affecting chicken and eggs’ costs are already in play. While the price may not increase significantly, a steady increase may be seen if current tensions continue. This is because when it comes to essentials, even a small increase is felt. Even if you don’t feel it immediately at the supermarket or grocery stores, rising poultry costs affect more than just home cooking. Hawker stalls, nasi campur shops as well as restaurants also rely heavily on these products. When their operational costs go up so do their menu prices. That RM8 chicken rice? It might slowly become RM9 or RM10. But rest assured, this isn’t bound to happen overnight, but rather gradually over time.  It is important to not panic but to be aware of these changes so you can make informed decisions.