IPOH: Prices of chicken eggs in the state have gone up due to the increase in the production cost incurred by chicken egg farmers.

Perak Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs, National Integration and Civil Society committee chairman Datuk Abdul Yunus Jamahri said the steep price in the production cost was due to the chicken feed prices in the international market.

He said in early October, the authorities had detected that some retailers had increased chicken egg prices from RM0.44 to RM0.47 for grade A eggs, RM0.45 sen from RM0.42 sen for grade B eggs, while grade C eggs were priced at RM0.43 sen from RM0.40 sen.

“The Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs (KPDNHEP) has taken proactive measures by issuing notices to retailers, suppliers and egg producers who have increased prices unreasonably to review their selling prices and ensure that there is no profiteering element,” he said in a statement today.

He said a total of 83 price adjustment notifications and 12 notices had been issued under the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act 2011 from Aug 13 to Nov 19.

He was commenting on a newspaper report about the price hike of 30 chicken eggs of all grades in the state between RM1 and RM2 sold in morning markets, grocery stores and supermarkets since October.

Meanwhile, Abdul Yunus said 176 KPDNHEP enforcement officers and 79 price monitoring officers would continue to conduct supply and price checks on all retailers, wholesalers and 11 leading producers of chicken eggs in the state.

He urged all traders to be more responsible in ensuring that the production and distribution of chicken eggs are sufficient to cater to consumers’ needs and to be sold at a reasonable price with no element of profiteering. — Bernama