KUCHING: The Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry and the Agriculture and Food Industry Ministry have been urged to focus on the current market shortage of chickens and eggs.
Bintulu Member of Parliament Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing said these are essential and daily necessities for the people and their livelihoods as they form the bulk of raw materials needed by the food manufacturing industry.
He said the government's restrictive regulations on the rearing, processing, and supply of chicken and eggs coupled with disallowing retailers to raise prices without authorisation to ease the burden on consumers, have impacted suppliers and their ability to compete and bring sufficient supply to the market.
"This has inadvertently caused a shortage for consumers who are now affected by insufficient supply in the market and destabilising of the food supply chain," he said.
"We need to have an in-depth understanding and sound strategy to avoid this shortage, including delivering the promised incentives to the traders, instead of leaving them to fend for themselves."
"Under the pressure of the Covid-19 pandemic and a weak economy and various instabilities, we need to make adjustments and subsidies to help these livestock farmers, rather than forcing them to take their losses," he said in a statement.
Tiong, who is also the Dudong assemblyman, said apart from the soaring transportation costs of imported feed and other livestock costs, the farmers need to endure government regulations that prohibit price increases.
"Many breeders have complained to me that they could no longer take the losses and would rather not sell or rear more livestock to stave off further losses," he said.
He said setting a ceiling price and allowing all merchants who have obtained a temporary approved permit (AP) to import whole chickens would not only fail to address the root causes of the problem but is also unfriendly to the industry as a whole.
"There is also no control over how long the imported frozen chickens have been kept. These kinds of half measures cannot achieve the goal of reducing the people's burdens. No one can guarantee when the price of imported frozen chicken will increase in the future."
"We need to strive to achieve food self-sufficiency, instead of relying on food imports. Such imports are temporary solutions at best, and no one is willing to do business at a loss so it is imperative for us to formulate an effective long-term win-win solution," he said.
Tiong said chickens and eggs are daily necessities and a vital part of the food supply chain, hence, the government must take this matter seriously and implement lasting solutions.
"I will also be reporting to the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob to discuss this issue so the relevant departments can handle the people's livelihoods with more care and sincere actions," he said.
