Don't panic-buy eggs, Negri residents urged

SEREMBAN: Consumers have been told not to buy more eggs than they need after a shortage was discovered in some areas, says the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry.

Its Negri Sembilan director Muhammad Zahir Mazlan said checks conducted since early October showed there was a shortage at the retail level in several areas, especially Nilai.

He said this was due to higher demand from consumers for the upcoming festive season.

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"We would like to advise consumers not to panic-buy or buy in larger quantities as this will only cause a disruption in the local supply chain," he said, adding that consumers should stick to buying the usual amount of eggs.

Muhammad Zahir said that as of Tuesday (Oct 18), there were more than 308,000 eggs of various grades available in the market.

He said the reduction in supply in some areas did not lead to any price increases.

The retail price for a grade A egg is 45sen, grade B 43sen and grade C, 41sen.

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He said despite the supply shortage at some retailers, the department has only received one complaint through its online system.

Muhammad Zahir said it was told of a shortage at a business in Nilai.

"An inspection was quickly carried out in the vicinity and we found only that one particular outlet had a shortage which was attributed to higher demand than usual," he said, adding that other outlets in the area had sufficient supply.

Muhammad Zahir said checks at two egg farms in the state also showed that the production level was normal.

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He said to ensure there was a sufficient supply of eggs in the state, the ministry will continue to monitor supply at selected dedicated district retailers in the state.

There are 151 such outlets in Negri Sembilan.

He said apart from normal outlets, consumers can also buy eggs at the Jualan Murah Keluarga Malaysia held every weekend in every state constituency.

He said the prices of eggs and other foodstuff sold in these areas were competitive.

Muhammad Zahir also advised traders to always comply with the laws and regulations.

He said consumers can forward complaints to the department through its call centre at 1 800 886 800, the enforcement command centre at 03 8882 6088/6245, by WhatsApp at 019 279 4317 or via email to [e-mail].