Traders, customers in red over shortage of eggs in Ipoh
NOOR AINON MOHAMED YUSOF30 Nov 2022 08:30am
Kim's son arranges chicken eggs he just received from a supplier in Ipoh. Thumbnail from left: Fadzua, Noorsyamimi
A survey at several grocery stores found that most still face a shortage of chicken eggs, causing unhappiness within customers.
The price for an egg board is sold at RM18, grade AA (RM16.80), grade A (RM16.30), grade B (RM15.70) and grade C at RM15.40.
Worker Fadzua Zainal, 50, admits he has had a hard time getting chicken eggs around Ipoh for the past two days.
"Every month I will go to buy a board of chicken eggs for my own use. It's been really hard to get it and this morning (Tuesday) I tried again but still no luck.
He said only Omega eggs were on sale but it was a little expensive.
"I'm trying to find some more in some other areas just in case. In the past few months, it has been difficult to get chicken eggs," he said when he was asked at the Ipoh Central Market here.
A grocery store owner who wanted to be known as Kim said the high demand and the panic buying caused the shortage of chicken eggs.
The 40-year-old woman said the situation caused the sale of 100 boards of chicken egg which usually runs out within a week were now sold in a few days.
Over the past three weeks, the buying pattern within customers have changed with some buying double to triple the amount as compared to before.
An egg seller, who wants to be known as Angie said there seems to be no solution to the shortage, causing anger within customers.
"We receive a supply of 100 boards of chicken eggs everyday and within a few hours, it is already exhausted as some are pre-ordered by customers," she said.
"But some customers say were are the ones hoarding so that we could sell at higher price. Logically, eggs can't be stored for too long and they're no longer fresh," she said.
A wholesaler, Noorsyamimi Suhaimi hopes that the new government will be able to solve the supply problem and the price of chicken eggs at the farm level.
She urged the government to resolve the issue.
"We receive fewer than 50 boards of chicken egg per day compared to 300 boards last May, she added.
Noorsymimi said wholesalers also faced sugar shortage a month ago.
"Previously, we received two tonnes of sugar with delivery three times a week and this time it has decreased to 240 kilogrammes only," she added.
