For Malaysia, This Is No Game of Chicken
A ban on poultry exports is starting to seem less like a flippant threat than a deepening commitment to food protectionism.
Strength in numbers.
Photographer: Samsul Said/BloombergTo get a handle on the forces disrupting the global food supply chain, a small chicken processing plant on the outskirts of Malaysia’s biggest metro area isn’t a bad place to start. There, it’s clear that getting produce from point to point isn’t just a logistics challenge but a matter of national pride.
Malaysian curbs on poultry exports are grinding into their fourth week. Singapore is a big customer and buys about 98% of live shipments. While some types of chicken are now allowed to make their way to the country’s southern neighbor, the commercial broiling birds that comprise the bulk of sales remain blocked.