PUTRAJAYA, April 21 — Most supermarkets in the East Coast still have sufficient supply of egg of various grades ahead of the Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebration which starts tomorrow, said Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister Datuk Seri Salahuddin Ayub.
He said his ministry (KPDN) took quick action to inspect several supermarkets and selected big supermarkets in Kelantan and Terengganu following media reports on egg supply disruptions in the East Coast states prior to Aidilfitri.
Salahuddin said the KPDN also regularly monitors the availability of eggs in 225 premises of dedicated distributor retailers throughout Kelantan.
“Based on statistics of egg supplies at these premises until April 20, there was still a stock of 220,140 eggs of various grades in the market,” he said in a statement here today.
Salahuddin said overall there is no problem related to egg supply in Kelantan and there is an adequate supply for household consumption in conjunction with the festive season.
Besides this, he said based on inspection at retail and wholesale levels, egg supply throughout the state was stable.
In Terengganu, he said there are enough eggs in the main supermarkets and stores in smaller towns, and the result of monitoring showed a decline in demand for eggs as Ramadan bazaars will start to close and there will not be big orders from the baking industry for kuih, cakes and Raya cookies.
“Egg, which is under the controlled items list, is also readily available and expected to meet consumer demand,” he said.
Salahuddin also said the public, especially consumers in the East Coast, are advised not to panic and be prudent when buying eggs for use during the festive season to avoid any disruption to egg supply in the market.
He added that the KPDN will actively carry out inspection and monitoring throughout the country including during the festive period to ensure that consumers can celebrate Aidilfitri comfortably.