THE Agriculture and Food Industries Ministry (Mafi) expects the supply of chickens and eggs to stabilise in the next four months to meet domestic demand, in the wake of various incentives and subsidies being provided to industry players, especially poultry farmers.

Its minister Ronald Kiandee said the incentives and subsidies would ease the industry players’ burden amid rising costs of raw materials.

He said a new subsidy was announced last week and is being arranged with the industry, adding that the government has listened to the problems faced by players in the industry.

“The government has taken action to cover some of the implications of the increase in the cost of producing the country’s food supply.

“We give it four months. Farming chickens takes 30 to 40 days, so some time is needed (for the supply to stabilise),” he told reporters after attending the Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority’s Emergency Response Support Team (CDERT Fama) training programme.

Last Wednesday, the government agreed to provide a subsidy of 60 sen per kg to poultry farmers, by taking into account the farm price of live chickens at RM5.90 per kg and the retail price of standard chicken at RM8.90 per kg and a five sen subsidy for each egg from all categories until June 4.

He said the ministry had also organised engagement sessions with entrepreneurs and farmers after the subsidy announcement, with the latter assuring of an increase the production capacity of chicken and egg supplies to meet domestic demands.

In the meantime, Kiandee reiterated the government’s move to allow the import of whole chickens was temporary to address the supply shortage in the country until it stabilises.

In another development, Kiandee said Mafi’s efforts to implement CDERT through Fama was timely and in line with the spirit of Malaysian Family, and that the responsibility in dealing with disasters did not lie solely with enforcement teams.

He said Fama is entrusted to train personnel to help prepare food kits for the National Disaster Management Agency during disasters to be distributed to target groups.

“This training is also one of the elements that can improve Fama’s role as an implementing agency in strengthening food security during crises and disasters,” he said. – Bernama, February 15, 2022.