Singapore to start importing eggs from Indonesia
This brings the number of countries and regions accredited to export chicken eggs to Singapore to 18, up from 12 in 2019, says the Singapore Food Agency.
With the addition of Indonesia, there are now 18 countries and regions accredited to export chicken eggs to Singapore. (Photo: SFA)
SINGAPORE: The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) said on Monday (Apr 3) it has approved Indonesia as the newest exporter of eggs to Singapore to meet national demand.
“We continue to diversify our egg sources and have approved Indonesia as a new source country to export hen shell eggs to Singapore,” it said in a Facebook post.
With the addition of Indonesia, the number of countries and regions accredited to export chicken eggs to Singapore has increased to 18, up from 12 in 2019, said the agency.
In December, Singapore approved the import of chicken eggs from Brunei.
However, SFA added that Singapore can still expect supply fluctuations from time to time, “due to various factors such as disease outbreaks and supply disruptions”.
“For instance, several countries were recently affected by bird flu outbreaks, which affected their poultry and egg production,” it said.
SFA also encouraged the food industry to diversify and import from various sources as part of business continuity plans in order to contribute to Singapore’s food resilience.
“As consumers, we can also play our part by being flexible with food options in the event of disruption,” it said.
“Being open and adaptable to new food sources such as eggs from Indonesia is also a step towards building Singapore’s food resilience, ensuring that we will always have (enough).”
Sustainability and Environment Minister Grace Fu said in a Facebook post that while Singapore continues to strengthen its food security, “we also recognise that no country can be spared from uncertainties in the global food supply”.
She cited the worldwide egg shortage due to avian flu, supply chain issues and the rising costs of chicken feed as an example.
“I encourage Singaporeans to be mindful of potential disruptions, and to be flexible with food and ingredient choices and adaptable to new food sources,” she said.
Imports currently account for about 70 per cent of Singapore’s egg supply.
SFA said in December that the upcoming development of Singapore’s fourth egg farm will further strengthen the resilience of the country’s local egg supply.
Once fully operational, Singapore’s local egg farms will meet about 50 per cent of the country’s egg demand.
