KOTA KINABALU: The Agriculture and Fisheries Ministry has reassured consumers that egg supply in Sabah remains stable and sufficient.
Agriculture and Fisheries Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Dr Jeffrey Kitingan said his ministry through the Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) has recently monitored the operations of chicken farms, particularly major chicken egg farms in Sabah.
“The majority of the farms reported back to the department that they have no problem meeting the demands of consumers in Sabah.
“In other words, chicken egg supply in Sabah remains stable, and the number of eggs produced remains the same as previously. The government also has imposed strict pricing control on the product,” he said in a statement here today.
Kitingan pointed out that there may be an increase in demand for chicken eggs since they are the cheapest protein source.
This could explain why some consumers report difficulty purchasing the product in some places in Sabah.
He stated that his ministry is looking for measures to help the private sector meet rising demand while also reducing the price of other protein sources, particularly chicken meat, and pork.
“The problem is, while the pricing of chicken and pork are determined by the Sabah ministry, we must still follow guidelines set by the DVS at the federal level, such as accepting only goods produced by abattoirs recognised by the federal DVS.
“To address this issue, I have recommended the formation of a special task force on food security. We must find ways to reduce food imports by increasing local production, not just chicken or pork, but also rice and wheat.
“Additionally, we should demand for devolution of power of the federal DVS to Sabah DVS so that we can decide on our own and expand our list of acceptable overseas abattoirs to supplement our locally produced chicken and pork meat.
“I believe by doing so, we can alleviate the problem of rising food prices and ease the burden of the people,” he said.-pr/BNN
