SIBU: Residents here have been assured there are enough eggs to go around, so don’t panic.
Sibu Livestock Breeders’ Association chairman Ling Chi Kiong insisted the town was not facing a shortage, unlike in Bintulu and Miri where consumers had reported a shortage of the product in the past few days.
“Do not panic, we still have enough supply to meet consumers’ demand here in the central region,” he said when contacted yesterday (July 5).
He claimed an average of 700,000 eggs were produced daily which exceeded consumer demand in Sibu and Kapit, explaining that about 50 per cent of the eggs produced were sent to Bintulu, Miri, Mukah, and other small towns in the central region.
“Some of these eggs are also sent to Kuching, although the market is big there but it’s not profitable due to the distance and other logistical factors,” he said.
Ling said while previously about 2.2 million eggs were produced daily across Sarawak, the figure now had dropped to 2 million in the past few months due to the rising cost of chicken feed and corn which made “life difficult for the poultry farmers”.
For example, he said during the movement control order in 2020, a bag of chicken feed weighing 50kg cost only about RM80.
“In May 2022, the price of a 50kg bag of chicken feed has jumped to RM130.
“Due to inflationary factors many poultry farmers have decided to wind up their business and change their careers as they cannot continue running their business at a loss.”
On the new ceiling price of eggs, Ling said many farmers might not be able to cover the rising cost of chicken feed and other operating costs.
There are concerns that supply might be further reduced if more of these poultry farmers stopped their operations, he warned.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs (KPDNHEP) recently announced that the retail price of Grade A eggs in Sarawak cost RM0.47 each in most districts, but inLimbang and Lawas the eggs cost RM0.49 each, and in Kapit, Bukit Mabong, Song and Belaga, RM0.50 each.
Grade B eggs cost between RM0.45 and RM0.48 each, while Grade C eggs cost between RM0.43 and RM0.46.
The new retail ceiling price introduced by the government came into effect from July 1 and will end on August 31.
