SIBU PRODUCERS WILLING TO COMPETE IF EGG PRICES ARE FLOATED
SIBU, Dec 12 (Bernama) -- Egg producers in Sibu are urging the federal government to float the prices of eggs to ensure sufficient domestic supply, besides introducing a policy to increase local production of chicken feed.
Sibu Member of Parliament Oscar Ling Chai Yew said producers are willing to compete on price with imported eggs if the government is ready to float the price.
“The producers are confident the price of eggs will go down in a few months’ time, and there will be enough supply of eggs if the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security takes this measure,” he told reporters after a dialogue with the Sibu Poultry and Livestock Association and Sibu Butchers Association here today.
He said the association members claimed that the high cost of chicken feed had restricted the production of eggs and made it difficult for them to sell at an average control price of RM12.90 per tray.
“The cost of feeds represents 75 per cent of the total production cost. Thus if we can come up with our own feed we can control the price of the product. If Malaysia could not produce 100 per cent of the feed, 50 per cent production would be good enough,” he said
Ling said the associations also called on the government to issue more licences for importing pork to solve the meat shortage here.
He said currently there are only four licensed pork importers here and consumers have to rely on breeders from Kuching to get additional supply.
Pig farms in Sibu have been closed since the African Swine Fever (ASF) outbreak early this year and most farmers could not restart operations due to lack of capital.
“Hence they are suggesting the setting up of an agricultural insurance, either private or government initiated, so that farmers affected by diseases such as ASF could restart their businesses with funds from the insurance,” he added.
-- BERNAMA
