KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Federation of Livestock Farmers' Association (FLFAM) welcomed the measure to lift the ceiling price for chickens while maintaining egg subsidies.
In a statement today, the association said the supply of broiler chickens and eggs were stable and expected to meet Malaysian consumer demands.
"We welcome the government's effort to allow the B40 to continue to enjoy a highly affordable egg price.
"Lifting the ceiling price of chicken will encourage the expansion of broiler farming and foreign investment into this sector, which will further strengthen the chicken supply and contribute positively to national food security," FLFAM said.
Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu today announced that subsidies and price controls for chicken would be discontinued from Nov 1, while subsidies and price controls for chicken eggs remain unaffected.
The minister said the termination of chicken subsidies is to reduce subsidy leakage.
"We are maintaining the subsidies for eggs because if we were to discontinue them at this point, the price of each egg is expected to increase by RM0.10, and typically, people purchase eggs not individually but in trays," said Mat Sabu.
The retail ceiling price for grade A eggs is 45 sen each, grade B (43 sen) and grade C (41 sen).
FLFAM said the association would work to ensure a sufficient supply of chicken, especially after the ceiling price is lifted.
"We will continue to support the government to provide Malaysians with ample supply of broiler chickens and eggs at affordable prices," the statement read.