Liangkee, one of Malaysia’s largest cage-free egg producers, is scaling up its operations from 20,000 to 100,000 cage-free hens, with nearly 20% of its overall egg production set to come from cage-free systems. The expansion, which will begin construction in August, will introduce advanced multi-layer aviary systems alongside the company’s existing free-range farming. “In recent years, the market has witnessed a remarkable shift towards cage-free eggs due to growing consumer awareness of animal welfare and food quality,” said Tan Ling Yu, second-generation owner of Liangkee and the driving force behind the LKFresh brand. Liangkee’s move aligns with increasing corporate and consumer demand for cage-free eggs. Bagas Kusuma Jati, Sustainable Supply Chain Manager at Lever Foundation, noted that major brands such as OldTown White Coffee, MYDIN, Jaya Grocer, The Food Purveyor, AEON Malaysia, and Sunway Group have already committed to sourcing cage-free eggs. A GMO Research survey found that 77% of Malaysian consumers believe eggs sold by restaurants and retailers should come from cage-free hens, while 62% are willing to pay more for them, with over half accepting a price increase of 10-25%. Research by the European Food Safety Authority has also shown that cage-free farms have up to 25 times lower rates of contamination by key salmonella strains.