Thread by @kixes

I've got a ton of writing to do and I'm procrastinating again, so I'm going to do a little thread about #Singapore, #COVID19, and eggs

#Singapore has three local chicken farms, which meet about 26% of local eggspectations. According to @ChannelNewsAsia, there were 521 million 鸡蛋 produced locally in 2017: channelnewsasia.com/news/cnainside…

Our main supply is yolked to #Malaysia, which in 2018 provided for about 73% of our needs. So with #COVID19 and movement restriction orders in our neighbour, there were concerns that food supply — including the precious telur — would be disrupted. straitstimes.com/singapore/supp…

But #Singapore has also been diversifying sources of food import. A variety of countries, such as #Ukraine, #Australia, and #NewZealand, are now cleared to eggsport to us. Earlier this month we welcomed our first shipment of jajko from #Poland:

The #Singapore Food Agency points out that the list of accredited countries and farms from which we can scramble up a supply has more than doubled between 2017 and 2019: sfa.gov.sg/food-for-thoug…

With #COVID19 prompting concerns about food security, the #Singapore government — pragmatic and hardboiled as ever — activated these alternative sources.

Here is Minister for Trade and Industry Chan Chun Sing personally welcoming 300,000 ไข่ from #Thailand in March 2020:

So it's safe to say that #Singapore's in an eggcellent position when it comes to supply. But could things be *too* eggcellent? An article in @zaobaosg (in Chinese only) suggests that, for egg merchants, things might not be all sunny side up: zaobao.com.sg/news/singapore…

According to @zaobaosg, there was a bit of a spike in egg prices during the partial lockdown period in April, but it didn't take too long for the supply from #Malaysia and #Thailand to be runny again. Suppliers also sourced eggs from #Ukraine and #Poland. Now there's an egg glut.

Egg sellers told @zaobaosg that the increase in people cooking at home hasn't been able to offset the reduced demand from hotels, restaurants, hawkers, etc., plus a more muted Eid celebration. Some hawkers used to crack 300 eggs a day, but now only get through about 60. 🍳

A merchant told @zaobaosg that while it's technically possible to keep eggs in refrigerated storage for 4–6 months, you should really sell them quickly, lest they're not all they're cracked up to be. 'Cos of this, he's had to sell/is selling stock he imported in May at a loss.

Another admitted that there was too much eggcess and he had to chuck a bunch imported from #Thailand.

When I say "a bunch", I mean, over 250,000 eggs.

(Corrected tweet 'cos I typed the number wrong before—redid the rest of the thread too.)

The merchants are wary of reducing the quantity of imports by too much, lest market demand revives and it's too omelate to procure enough to supply customers. But w/ the current oversupply, the price has dropped by > 2¢/🥚.

If you like eggs, it's an absolute buyer's market now.

Eat eggs, eat eggs for #Singapore
Eat the most you can
Reach out for your baking pan
You gotta make a flan

According to online supermarket @redmart, 12 Sunny Queen eggs from #Australia cost S$9.90 (see: lazada.sg/products/sunny…). This seller, though, is offering 180 Sunny Queen eggs for S$24. I wonder where this stock of eggs came from, and why it's being cleared at such a low price?

Good news for the merchants, though. On June 15, the #Singapore government announced that we're entering "Phase 2" on June 19, which means dining in at eateries is allowed again: sgsme.sg/news/businesse… So🤞🏼that suppliers will Eggs Benefit.