Importing eggs from India only temporary measure, says Mat Sabu

PUTRAJAYA: The government will only import eggs from India until local supplies stabilise, says Agriculture and Food Security Minister Mohamad Sabu.

He said the measure was taken because local producers were unable to meet the demand which resulted in a shortage of eggs in the market.

"The problem now is that local farmers are not producing enough eggs,” he told reporters after delivering his New Year’s message to the ministry’s staff here.

He was commenting on Ayer Hitam Member of Parliament Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong’s statement that the Agriculture and Food Security Ministry should prioritise local farmers instead of importing eggs from India to deal with the issue of chicken egg supply shortage.

Mohamad said the ministry was currently holding discussions with other ministries.

They included the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry, the Economy and Finance Ministries as well as local egg producers on whether to continue or make changes to the subsidy mechanism in order to increase supply in the market.

According to Mohamad, Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Mohd Zuki Ali, in the Cabinet ministers’ retreat programme yesterday, said that based on public views, the ministry received the “lowest rating” in terms of performance following the shortage of chicken and egg supplies.

Meanwhile, Mohamad outlined five main directions for the ministry this year in order to make the national food security agenda a success.

The directions included empowering the aquaculture industry; expanding cattle feedlot farming and grain corn cultivation; increasing youths’ involvement in the agro-food sector and smart agriculture; as well as empowering agricultural training institutes to produce high-quality graduates. - Bernama