KUCHING: Sarawak expects to export its chicken eggs to Singapore soon.
Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas said the Singapore Food Agency had inspected several layer farms here and in Samarahan areas last year.
“We are actually awaiting its final approval. Our industry players are using modern high technology production systems to enhance productivity and efficiency.
“We are free of Avian flu, thus there is great demand for our eggs overseas. These are our competitive advantages against competitors in the region,” he said after a visit to Lian Hua Seng Livestock Sdn Bhd here yesterday.
The company which utilises state-of-the-art grading technology to ensure the eggs produced are accurately graded and disinfected (UV sterilisation treatment), is one of the top egg suppliers in the state.
It produces 180,000 eggs daily and expects to increase to 450,000 with its expansion plan.
The eggs are GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice), myGAP (Malaysian Good Agricultural Practices) and HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point) certified.
For the Singapore market, the company plans to export its premium selenium enriched eggs.
Meanwhile, Uggah said Sarawak was already self-sufficient in chicken eggs.
“We have 45 layer farms statewide since last year with a combined layer population of 3.3 million, producing 850 million eggs.
“The total amount of eggs exported last year was 48 million valued at RM13.5 million.
“Of these, 20.34 million eggs were exported to Hong Kong and 27.72 million to Indonesia,” he said.
Uggah, who is also the Minister for Modernisation of Agriculture, Native Land and Regional Development, added the state had still vast potentials to go further.
“We had seen over the last five years the increasing trend in exports among local players.
“So I hope the industry will grow and adopt modern technology to enhance our production and competitiveness,” he said.
For the record, Sarawak exported 257.5 metric tons of poultry broiler to Indonesia worth RM1.86 million last year.
Lian Hua Seng Livestock managing director Datuk Chew Chiaw Han, the director of the State Veterinary Services Department Dr Adrian Susin and a political secretary to the chief minister Dr Richard Rapu were also present during the visit.
