Mohamad Sabu: Egg prices unlikely to spike despite subsidy removal
KUALA TERENGGANU: The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (KPKM) will increase the production of lower-priced special grade chicken eggs following the government's decision to end egg subsidies from Aug 1, said its minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu.
He said the move aims to offer the public more affordable options while helping to stabilise market prices.
"We also plan to raise the supply of special grade eggs similar to those sold during Ramadan (March) at RM5 per tray.
"This time, we're unsure of the exact price, but we are confident it will not spike uncontrollably," he told reporters after attending Terengganu Pakatan Harapan's Aidilfitri open house here today.
On April 30, KPKM announced the subsidy removal and outlined several intervention measures, to be implemented jointly with the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN), to cushion the impact on consumers.
Among the measures is the industry's commitment to introducing special grade eggs at reasonable prices.
Mohamad said, aside from special grade eggs, consumers can obtain competitively priced eggs through nationwide initiatives such as Jualan Agro MADANI and Jualan Rahmah.
He stressed that the decision to end both the egg subsidy and price controls—as well as the reduction in subsidy rate from RM0.10 to RM0.05 per egg effective May 1—was made through stakeholder consultation.
"The decision was reached via engagement. We negotiated first with egg producers and industry players. The removal was done in a soft-landing manner, not abruptly. Therefore, I believe egg prices will not surge," he said.
Meanwhile, he encouraged the cultivation of local young coconuts, especially aromatic varieties such as pandan coconuts, to meet rising demand from China.
"This presents an opportunity, particularly for Terengganu with its vast land, to focus on a crop that can generate strong returns. China has a population of over 1.4 billion, with more than 800 million having spending power… this is a real economic opportunity," he said.
On April 19, Agriculture Department director-general Datuk Nor Sam Alwi said the opening of the fresh coconut market to China under the Phytosanitary Requirements Protocol marked a strengthening of biosecurity measures and the establishment of a more systematic traceability framework for quality young coconut production.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BusinessToday
a day ago
- BusinessToday
DOSM Report Shows Ramadan Bazaars Drove RM3.2 Billion In Sales, 280,000 Jobs In 2025
Malaysia's vibrant Ramadan and Aidilfitri bazaars generated an impressive RM3.2 billion in total sales and engaged 281,876 workers in 2025, according to a report released today by the Department of Statistics, Malaysia (DOSM). The 'Report on Statistics Ramadan & Aidilfitri Bazaars 2025' highlights a notable improvement in performance compared to 2023. The total sales value for both bazaars in 2025 rose by 12.9% from RM2.5 billion in 2023. This growth was accompanied by a 17.6% increase in the number of persons engaged, underscoring the significant economic activity and local entrepreneurship fostered by these festive markets. The DOSM survey, conducted from March 2 to March 30, 2025, covered bazaars registered with Local Authorities (LAs) nationwide. State and District Highlights Selangor emerged as the top-performing state, recording the highest combined sales value of RM0.7 billion and engaging 38,811 persons. Johor followed with RM0.5 billion in sales and a leading 44,525 persons engaged, while W.P. Kuala Lumpur registered RM0.4 billion in sales with 16,142 persons engaged. Collectively, these three states contributed 47.5% of the total national sales value for Ramadan and Aidilfitri bazaars. At the administrative district level, Johor Bahru recorded the highest combined sales value at RM261.1 million, surpassing Petaling (RM184.7 million) and Gombak (RM122.0 million). Ramadan Bazaar Performance Specifically, Ramadan bazaars contributed RM2.6 billion in sales in 2025, reflecting a positive growth of 14.9% compared to 2023. Selangor led state-level sales for Ramadan bazaars at RM558.0 million, followed by W.P. Kuala Lumpur (RM361.9 million) and Johor (RM331.5 million). Petaling district topped the Ramadan bazaar sales with RM163.9 million. The number of persons engaged in Ramadan bazaars also saw a sharp increase of 18.7% to 241,379. Johor registered the highest number of persons engaged at 37,415, while Johor Bahru district led with 21,295 workers. Aidilfitri Bazaar Performance Aidilfitri bazaars also performed well, with total sales increasing by 5.1% to RM0.6 billion compared to RM0.5 billion in 2023. Johor led state-level sales for Aidilfitri bazaars with RM144.3 million. Johor Bahru district again recorded the highest sales at RM99.0 million. The number of persons engaged in Aidilfitri bazaars increased by 12.0% to 40,497, with Johor recording the highest number at 7,110 persons. Vendor Satisfaction and Food Waste Management A survey conducted by DOSM indicated high satisfaction among Ramadan and Aidilfitri bazaar vendors: 83.0% were satisfied with the bazaar locations. were satisfied with the bazaar locations. 70.5% were satisfied with promotional activities by organizers. were satisfied with promotional activities by organizers. 69.3% were satisfied with traffic control measures. were satisfied with traffic control measures. 73.2% expressed satisfaction with visitor turnout. In a commendable effort to reduce food waste, 56.0% of Ramadan Bazaar vendors reported offering discounted prices to minimize surplus. Furthermore, 77.3% expressed willingness to donate unsold food to selected institutions, and 84.2% were open to sharing excess food with fellow vendors. Systematic food waste management also saw 3.9% of vendors channeling surplus to processing factories, 6.2% collecting for organic composting, and 7.4% utilizing recycling methods for leftovers. These findings highlight the continuous efforts by vendors and organizers to improve both the economic and operational aspects of these culturally significant bazaars. Related
Barnama
2 days ago
- Barnama
KPKM Approved 220 Agricultural Projects Under Land Use Optimisation Programme
KUALA LUMPUR, June 20 (Bernama) -- A total of 220 projects have been approved under the Land Use Optimisation Programme in collaboration with state governments nationwide for 2024 and 2025, as of May 30. In a statement today, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (KPKM) announced that the projects encompass crop cultivation, livestock, fisheries, agro-tourism, and capacity-building for farmers, planters, fishermen and breeders. 'Through Budget 2025, the Federal government has allocated RM300 million to execute various agricultural development initiatives in partnership with state governments. 'This programme includes improving, upgrading and carrying out agricultural activities on land which is under the joint jurisdiction of state governments and KPKM,' the statement read. The matter was announced at the first meeting of the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security with State Agriculture Executive Councillors for 2025, held in Putrajaya yesterday. In addition to two papers for consideration and five papers for information, the meeting also discussed a proposal for the official handover of 51 National Satellite Farm complexes built by the Department of Veterinary Services using federal funds on state-owned land in Negeri Sembilan, Johor and Perak. 'This move aims to streamline the leasing and maintenance of immovable assets by the respective state authorities in a lawful and organised manner. 'The meeting agreed that the handover would resolve issues of unclear asset ownership and enable state governments to manage and maintain the assets more systematically, ensuring the continuity of livestock operations and optimal use of existing infrastructure,' the statement read. Meanwhile, on the role of state executive councillors addressing 'grey areas' in rice bowl zones, one of the proposals raised was to transfer assets with unclear ownership to the state or district Department of Irrigation and Drainage (JPS), to ensure more efficient and effective padi field irrigation management.
Malaysian Reserve
2 days ago
- Malaysian Reserve
Domestic tourism expenditure up 25.6% to RM106b in 2024
PUTRAJAYA — Malaysia's domestic tourism sector recorded significant growth in 2024, with total domestic visitor expenditure reaching RM106.7 billion, a 25.6 per cent increase from RM84.9 billion in 2023, according to the Malaysia Domestic Tourism Survey released by the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) today. Chief Statistician Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin said the growth was driven by higher spending from tourists and day-trippers, registering growth rates of 20.6 per cent and 33.8 per cent, respectively. 'The number of domestic visitors rose by 21.7 per cent to 260.1 million in 2024, compared to 213.7 million the previous year. 'The increase in domestic travel activities was supported by seasonal factors in the first quarter, including Chinese New Year celebrations, Ramadan, Hari Raya Aidilfitri preparations and school holidays, which contributed to higher movement and tourism-related spending,' he said. In terms of transportation modes, 97.6 per cent of domestic visitors used land transport, while air travel accounted for only 2.1 per cent, he said. Mohd Uzir said as for accommodation preferences, 60.4 per cent of tourists stayed with relatives or friends. The proportion of tourists opting for paid accommodation increased, with hotels accounting for 21.7 per cent of overnight stays, while homestay usage rose from 6.7 per cent in 2023 to 8.6 per cent in 2024, he added. 'Visiting relatives and friends remained the primary purpose of domestic travel, contributing 34.6 per cent of total trips in 2024. In contrast, shopping-related trips declined to 27.6 per cent in 2024 from 32.6 per cent the previous year. 'However, shopping remained the largest expenditure category, accounting for 37.4 per cent of total domestic tourism spending, followed by food and beverages at 16.2 per cent and vehicle fuel purchases at 12.7 per cent,' he said. Mohd Uzir said Selangor was the most visited state, attracting 34.5 million domestic visitors, followed by Kuala Lumpur with 27 million and Perak with 21.8 million domestic visitors. 'Overall, Malaysia's domestic tourism sector in 2024 demonstrated robust and rapid growth, driven by an increase in visitor numbers, higher spending and evolving travel patterns. 'While visiting relatives remains dominant, growing interest in recreation-based tourism, programmes and experiences reflects a dynamic and diverse market,' he said. — BERNAMA
