Empty area where trays of eggs are usually displayed for sale in one of the supermarkets near the city.
KOTA KINABALU: Egg supplies in the city seem to be running low, although the Agriculture and Fisheries Ministry has recently assured otherwise.
A brief survey in several supermarkets around the city on Thursday (July 14) found that there were no egg stocks for sale, as suppliers had yet to send them over.
Some of them said the eggs were slow to be restocked, while some whose available supplies saw them sold very quickly due to the great demand for eggs.
A customer, Mellisa Lee, said she has been trying to look for eggs since Wednesday (July 13), but there seems to be a shortage.
"Not too sure though, because I just went to two supermarkets in Penampang to check," said the 33-year-old.
Another, Belinda Kassim, 45, also told of similar plights when trying to shop for eggs, but said a supermarket staff assured her that there would be new stock arriving soon.
A chicken breeder in Penampang, who did not want to be named, said he chose to cut down on breeding new chicks due to the increase in chicken feed and corn.
"There will be lower chicken production from my farm. However, the demand for eggs remains high and we will try to meet the market demands," he said.
On Wednesday, State Agriculture and Fisheries Minister Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan said in a statement that egg supplies in Sabah remain stable and sufficient.
He said his ministry, through the Department of Veterinary Services (DVS), recently monitored the operations of chicken farms, particularly major chicken egg farms in Sabah.
He said a majority of the farms reported that they have no problem meeting the demands of consumers in Sabah.
"In other words, chicken and egg supply in Sabah remained stable, and the number of eggs produced remained the same as previously. The government also has imposed strict pricing control on the product," Jeffrey said.
He pointed out that there may be an increase in demand for chicken eggs since they are the cheapest protein source, thus explaining why some consumers report difficulty purchasing the product in some places in Sabah.
He stated that his ministry is looking for measures to help the private sector meet rising demand, while also reducing the price of other protein sources, particularly chicken and pork.
"The problem is, while the pricing of chicken and pork are determined by the Sabah ministry, we must still follow guidelines set by the DVS at the federal level, such as accepting only goods produced by abattoirs recognised by the Federal DVS," Jeffrey said.
He has recommended the formation of a special task force on food security to address the issue.
He said they must find ways to reduce food imports by increasing local production, not just chicken or pork, but also rice and wheat.
Kitingan also wanted devolution of power of the federal DVS to Sabah DVS so that it can decide on its own and expand its list of acceptable overseas abattoirs to supplement Sabah’s locally produced chicken and pork meat.
"I believe by doing so, we can alleviate the problem of rising food prices and ease the burden of the people," he said.
