Lower farm costs do not guarantee cheaper eggs: Deputy minister

KUALA LUMPUR: Deputy Agriculture and Food Security Minister Chan Foong Hin clarified that a drop in egg production costs at the farm level does not automatically result in cheaper egg prices for consumers. He emphasized that egg prices are affected by a variety of factors along the supply and marketing chain, including distribution, logistics, operational expenses, and other market dynamics such as supply and demand.

Production costs can be swayed by the price fluctuations of raw materials and livestock inputs, particularly feed, much of which is imported. Therefore, a thorough evaluation of the entire egg industry value chain, rather than just examining changes in production costs at the farm level, is necessary to comprehend the disparity between production costs and retail selling prices.

Regarding Malaysia's rice self-sufficiency ratio (SSR), Chan admitted that the present ratio remained considerably below the government's objective of 80% by 2030. Factors contributing to this gap include disease outbreaks, climate change, decreased paddy cultivation areas, and other challenges. He affirmed that the government would pursue the 80% SSR target using various strategic measures, including the adoption of advanced technologies, soil fertility enhancement, upgrading irrigation and drainage infrastructure, and the utilization of high-quality, disease-resistant rice seeds.

Moreover, initiatives encompass the Five-Season Paddy Cultivation Programme and the expansion of the Large-Scale Smart Paddy Field Programme (Smart SBB).