SIBU: The long-term solution to overcome egg shortages would be for the government to formulate a policy to allow for the production of half of the country’s chicken feed requirements.
Sibu MP Oscar Ling pointed out that shortage of eggs was due to limited production by the farmers owing to dearer chicken feed.
“About 95 per cent of chicken feed is imported and chicken feed constitutes 70 per cent of the total cost for livestock farming.
“The farmers are now actually selling below the cost price. If they produce more (eggs) they will lose more, so they have to resort to limit production.
“Thus, producing 50 per cent of the chicken feed would be good enough,” he said, adding, “I hope the government will protect the local industry first as we cannot forever depend on imported chicken feed.”
He said this after chairing a dialogue session with the Sibu Poultry and Livestock Association and Sibu Butchers Association on Monday (Dec 12).
Ling also urged the government to free float chicken egg prices instead of setting a ceiling price for it as poultry farmers are quite confident that prices of eggs will go down if it is a free market and once egg production increases.
“The government has set a ceiling price of an average of RM12.90 per tray. If they are at free-float price, a tray of egg would be between RM15 and RM18.
“They (poultry farmers) are willing to compete in the free market when imported eggs fetch a lower price,” he said.
Meanwhile, on the shortage of pork in Sibu he said that the farmers here want the government to issue more pork import licences instead of just four as it can help to lower the price of pork.
“Sibu and Miri are now relying on imported pigs from Kuching as farms in the two places have been affected by the African Swine Fever,” he said.
He also said that the pig farmers have requested for a special fund to ensure their business viability under a proposed agricultural insurance being set up by the government.
“They have been facing unexpected diseases like ASF. So, with an agricultural insurance scheme, they could be protected and be compensated,” he said.
