January 17, 2023

 

Malaysia will not implement ban on egg exports despite shortage

Datuk Seri Salahuddin Ayub, Malaysia's Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister, said the government will not impose a ban on egg exports, despite a shortage of eggs in the country, New Straits Times reported.

 

He said that the government is holding consultations with stakeholders, including poultry farmers, to ensure that the supply chain recovered with the deployment of migrant workers to the sector.

 

Salahuddin said egg supplies fell 112% short of what was regularly offered in the market.

 

He was responding to inquiries about whether the move would be taken into account because the fasting month and Hari Raya celebrations would likely coincide with the three-month recovery period for the supply of eggs to stabilise.

 

He recently said that the egg shortage would last three months.

 

In order to prevent shortages that were anticipated to last until the holiday season, Bumiputera Retailers Association president Datuk Ameer Ali Mydin urged the Malaysian government to impose an export ban on eggs from this point forward until Hari Raya Aidilfitri.

 

He claimed that cartels responsible for the shortages had to be stopped, so he had been forced to make this suggestion.

 

Ameer argued that there was no point to allow the export of eggs while maintaining or increasing subsidies for wholesalers and poultry farmers.

 

He said that the problem wasn't just limited to eggs but also the food and beverage sector, having an impact on everything from bakeries to locally owned firms that produced bakes and cakes, as well as holidays from Christmas to Hari Raya.

 

-      New Straits Times