(Morning News) The new Malaysian government announced the opening of egg imports from other countries in order to alleviate the shortage of eggs. Now the first batch of imported eggs has been sold at a price of RM0.5 (about S $0.15) each. Although this price is higher than the government-regulated A, B and C eggs, it is lower than other eggs that are not subject to price controls, so it is expected to remain competitive.

Amir, founder and group managing director of Mydin, Malaysia, told Sin Chew Daily that the first batch of eggs were imported from India and are now being sold at USJ Mydin in Subang, Selangor. 30 eggs per trolley, RM14.90, with an average of about RM0.5 per egg.

He pointed out that these imported eggs weigh less than 55 grams per egg, which is lighter than the C-grade eggs regulated by the Malaysian government, which weigh 55 grams to 59 grams per egg. But since these imported eggs are not standard products, there is no grade.

He said that as he said before, the price of imported eggs will be higher than that of eggs produced in Malaysia, but the government imports eggs to solve the shortage of eggs. He revealed that many people switched to Omega eggs of RM0.65 each due to the shortage of eggs, and now these imported eggs are cheaper than Omega eggs. Restaurants and low-income groups will be the main customer groups for these imported eggs, he said.

Amir said that the imported eggs currently sold are transported by air to Malaysia, mainly to test the quality of the eggs, the sales process and the acceptance of the people. Once the market responds well, a large number of sea shipments will be made to save costs.

He revealed that the tasting period of imported eggs is one month. The sea voyage takes about seven to 10 days, and procedures such as quarantine must be carried out after arriving in Malaysia, so there are two to three weeks left after the tasting period is launched on the market, which is enough for a family to consume a trove of eggs. He said that if people buy these eggs and put them in the refrigerator, they can be kept for two or three months.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Safety on December 16 approved Malaysian companies to airlift eggs from India to Malaysia for tests such as quarantine and customs clearance procedures. Once the supply of eggs in Malaysia stabilizes, the government will review the measures to import eggs at any time.