A DROP in demand during Ramadan, the lifting of suspension on egg-producing farms and an export curb have resulted in an unusual egg glut.
According to a report in Oriental Daily News today, wholesalers are disposing Grades E and F chicken eggs at 11 sen each or three trays of 30 eggs each for RM10, a situation unheard of in decades.
The report said since the start of Ramadan in May, lorry loads of Grades E and F eggs were “dumped” at rock-bottom price at various markets in Ipoh, much to the delight of consumers.
Prior to the glut, Grades E and F eggs were sold at 23 sen each or RM7 per tray.
Apart from consumers, eateries that use a lot of eggs in their dishes were the biggest “winners”, said the report.
An egg farmer, Huang Song Ling, told the daily that, however, there is no significant drop in the prices of Grades AA, A, B and C.
He explained that due to the bird flu threats at the end of last year, a number of egg farms were ordered by the Veterinary Services Department to temporarily suspend operation.
The result was a drop in supply causing the prices to go up between November and January.
In an attempt to meet domestic demand, the government imposed an export curb, Huang said.
The affected farms are back in full production now that the bird flu threats have blown over “but the demand, which saw a significant drop in demand during Ramadan, has yet to pick up”.
However, he expected the situation to return to normal next month.
