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Shipment of 300,000 eggs from Thailand lands at Changi

A Singapore Airlines cargo plane brought in the 300,000 eggs from Thailand. Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing said Singapore has many other sources of eggs besides Malaysia and is able to activate them quickly when needed. PHOTO: MINISTRY OF
A Singapore Airlines cargo plane brought in the 300,000 eggs from Thailand. Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing said Singapore has many other sources of eggs besides Malaysia and is able to activate them quickly when needed. PHOTO: MINISTRY OF TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Singapore has managed to ramp up its import of eggs and food items from other countries in the past two days, Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing said yesterday.

About 70 per cent of eggs here are imported from Malaysia, which imposed a lockdown on Wednesday, leaving some worried about Singapore's egg supply.

Yesterday, a Singapore Airlines cargo plane brought in some 300,000 eggs from Thailand, and Mr Chan was at Changi Airport to receive the "very special cargo".

He said on Facebook that about a quarter of the eggs consumed here are produced locally, and a significant number come from Malaysia.

"However, we also have many other source countries which we have identified over the years and are able to activate them quickly when the need calls for it.

"This applies not just to eggs, but other food products and essential items... These efforts to secure and diversify our food supply have been developed and strengthened through the years.

"Even though we have a robust plan in place, we do not take it for granted and reassess it regularly to test its robustness against different scenarios."

Singapore also imports eggs from Japan, Australia and New Zealand.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on March 20, 2020, with the headline Shipment of 300,000 eggs from Thailand lands at Changi. Subscribe