KUALA LUMPUR: The country has more than a month's stockpile of local white rice and a trading stock of about six months for imported white rice.

Agriculture and Food Security Ministry Agricultural Industry Development Division secretary Datuk Azman Mahmood said the public need not worry, as there was still enough rice for the country.

"Right now, we aren't using the stockpile. That will be kept for emergencies.

"We have enough rice for at least six months," he said after attending the 2024 Budget Dialogue session with paddy and rice industry players at the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (Mardi), today.

Also present was Agriculture and Food Security minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu.

He added that despite the major export ban in India, Malaysia was still able to import rice from other countries such as Thailand, Vietnam and Pakistan.

"We also buy rice at least six months ahead. We have enough rice until the next Hari Raya Aidilfitri," he said.

Azman also said the ministry had imposed a buying limit of 100kg of local white rice per individual or company.

"We will keep at this maximum until the situation improves."

Meanwhile, Mohamad assured that the price of local white rice was still being controlled, despite the hike in imported white rice prices.

He also said there had been no official complaints of rice manipulation to the ministry, following allegations that there were attempts to package local white rice as imported rice.

Touching on the dialogue, Mohamad said many industry players had raised their concerns and hopes for the upcoming tabling of the 2024 Budget.

"They also raised the issue of subsidies, irrigation, and the prices of pesticides and fertilisers for better output in the future," he said.

https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2023/09/952208/we-have-enough-rice-now-ministry