Govt needs time to stabilise egg supply, says Mat Sabu
Mohamad (middle) handing over donations in Kelantan, today.
Agriculture and Food Security Minister Mohamad Sabu said: "The government cannnot ensure the duration because it is about food supply. If it was on floods, could we predict the damages?
"We can't even predict if a chicken is about to get sick," he said at a press conference on handing over Flood Disaster Relief Kits to the people in the Agriculture and Food Security Ministry at the Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority (Fama) Office, here, today.
He said the government is working on stabilising supplies.
He added that the government is importing eggs as a measure to fill in the gaps.
Mohamad revealed the agriculture and agrofood sector in the country was suffering a loss of RM111.95 million due to the Northeast Monsoon affecting 24,700 hectares of agricultural area.
"A total of 12,000 farmers and breeders as well as agro-food operators throughout the country were affected by the monsoon.
"To ease the burden of those affected, an allocation of RM1 million is provided through his ministry's MAFS Prihatin," he said.
He said the aid covered 6,7000 ready-to-cook kits, 3,000 ready-to-eat kits and 1,000 hygiene kits.
Mohamad also known as Mat Sabu said RM2.45 million was allocated through Fama, Malaysian Fish Development Board (LKIM) and Farmers Organisation Board (LPP) to contribute to the agro-food community.
"It covered contributions of basic industrial agriculture equipment, mechanised machinery and appropriate support equipment.
"The ministry had also contributed RM1 million through the Veterinary Services Department (DVS) in the form of livestock food and medicine," he said.
