PETALING JAYA: Local egg farmers are facing losses due to high production costs and the government should introduce "egg allowances" to financially aid them, says Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong.
"Local eggs are being sold at RM0.41 per egg due to price control and many local farmers are dealing with losses as production costs are higher than the controlled prices," said Dr Wee.
“If facing a loss, farmers will no longer be poultry farming to produce eggs,” he said when debating the Royal Address in the Dewan Rakyat on Wednesday (Feb 15).
@drweekasiong Saya bangkitkan tentang isu telur di #DewanRakyat pagi tadi. Harap cadangan saya ini dipertimbangkan kerajaan demi manfaat rakyat #malaysia ♬ original sound - DrWeeKaSiong
Dr Wee said he found it strange that imported eggs from India were sold at RM0.50 per egg, adding that if the eggs were transported by ship, it would take three to four weeks for the eggs to arrive from India.
“Are they still as fresh as local eggs?” the Ayer Hitam MP said.
"I suggest we have 'egg allowances' to financially relieve B40 groups with a RM0.09 subsidy a piece which will increase egg prices from RM0.41 to RM0.50.
"I encourage the government to make use of the 100 chicken farms located in Yong Peng and my Ayer Hitam constituency as it's better to buy from local farmers than foreign ones.
"By employing the RM0.09 subsidy and equalling the market price of local eggs with imported eggs, we would be ‘killing two birds with one stone' as we wouldn't have to burden the public with any price increase and we would empower the domestic economy for local chicken farmers to continue their business.”
Separately, he also urged the government to increase the production of local fruits and other Malaysian products to increase exports to other countries.
"I congratulate everyone involved in the 2022 Malaysian Agriculture, Horticulture and Agro Tourism Exhibition (MAHA 2022) as they've successfully promoted our local fruits to people.
"We should financially assist these local fruit farmers and educate them of modern farming practices through training courses that will improve their business for the near future."
