GEORGE TOWN: The Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) has again urged the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry to resolve the shortage of chicken eggs immediately.
CAP president Mohideen Abdul Kader said grocers and public markets had claimed that it was difficult to get eggs over the past two weeks.
"This is raising concerns on the future supply of eggs. CAP's survey found that chicken eggs were still available at public markets and grocery stores in Gelugor, Bayan Baru, Jelutong and Batu Lanchang.
"However, the grocers claimed that it was tough to get their supply as the quantity they received from wholesalers was lower than those from traders at the markets."
Chicken eggs are the cheapest source of protein in the market.
According to news reports, egg producers have opted to slaughter their egg layers before reaching maturity, resulting in an egg shortage.
The Special Task Force on Jihad Against Inflation had recently identified the high cost of chicken feed as being responsible for the chicken egg supply shortage.
Mohideen asked why the chicken farmers were not consulted earlier.
"Why didn't they take remedial action? If chicken farmers had given feedback, did the task force discuss with local feed producers on how to produce cheaper feed using palm kernel waste since the cost of feed is the main issue of contention?"
Mohideen said there had been studies on the use of palm kernel cake as an animal feed ingredient since the 1980s.
He added that Selangor had announced that it was going to adopt an alternative animal feed production based on research by Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia two years ago.
He noted that the technique had also been implemented in Kedah and was found to have significantly reduced the cost of animal feed.