November 29, 2022

 

Malaysian poultry farmers say egg shortage caused by market manipulators

Poultry farmers in Malaysia said the egg shortage in the country is caused by market manipulators, stockpiling supplies to increase prices, The Star reported.

 

Muhammad Sufi Jamil, a chicken breeder, alleged that these manipulators hoard supplies of eggs that are supposed to be distributed to consumers so prices will go up. 

 

He said before the recent general elections, there was an egg shortage, but afterward, eggs appeared out of nowhere and are now widely available in grocery stores and other retail establishments.

 

Muhammad Sufi said some of the eggs being sold right now are either expired or almost expiring.

 

The unpredictable weather and the threat of wildlife near poultry farms, he said, were additional factors contributing to the egg shortage.

 

He said the government should watch over and manage the egg supply to prevent manipulation, adding that they should set a fixed price for eggs and mandate that breeders report their output.

 

Muhammad Sufi said this will help farmers control the supply as well as the price.

 

Another breeder, who wished to remain anonymous, said he has been delivering chicken eggs directly to shoppers and grocery stores in Alor Setar, Perak state, Malaysia.

 

He said he has never worked with middlemen, and never had this issue because he delivers his produce directly to customers.

 

He agrees that the government should control the prices of basic goods like eggs to protect consumers.

 

Mat Izzudin Idris, 43, owner of a grocery store, said that obtaining eggs from his supplier was not a problem, but because there is a limited supply of eggs, he occasionally has to limit sales.

 

He hopes the egg shortage issue won't happen again.

 

Bryan Wong, Sunshine Wholesale Mart marketing and communication manager, said there was no shortage, with sufficient eggs sold at all their outlets. He said egg prices per tray of 30 was MYR 13.50 (~US$2.99; MYR 1 = US$0.22) for Grade A, MYR 12.90 (~US$2.86) for Grade B, and MYR 11.70 (~US$2.60) for Grade C.

 

Nor Zaini Zainul Abidin, 41, who runs a convenience store in Subang Jaya in Selangor state, said egg supplies have been an issue in the past two months.

 

She said they used to get eggs from supermarkets and local suppliers, but now they have run out of eggs. Now she said she can only get Grade D or Grade E eggs.

 

She also pointed out the surge in chicken egg prices. Grade AA eggs increased from MYR 14.40 (~US$3.19)  to MYR 15 (~US$3.33) per carton, Grade A eggs jumped from MYR 13 (~US$2.88) to MYR 13.50 (~US$2.99), and Grade B eggs increased from MYR 12.40 (~US$2.75) to MYR 12.90 (~US$2.86)

 

The lack of eggs is also frustrating for consumers.

 

Sivakami Elango, a 45-year-old housewife, claimed that even early in the morning, supermarket and convenience store shelves were still only half full.

 

She said as it is very difficult to find price-controlled eggs in large quantities from the stores, she has resorted to buying free-range eggs at the morning markets.

 

-      The Star