KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 9): Minister of Agriculture and Food Security Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu suggested a hike in the ceiling price of local white rice be included in the upcoming Budget 2024, which will be tabled in Parliament on Friday.

He acknowledged the need to review the ceiling price of local white rice, which has been fixed at RM26 per 10kg since 2008 - a move then to incentivise paddy farmers to boost local rice production.

"However, matters related to food security are shared by the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Economy, and the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Costs of Living.

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“I will bring this matter up with the Finance Ministry and the prime minister to determine whether this proposal can be included in the upcoming budget," said Mohamad when winding up the debate on the rice shortage issue at Dewan Rakyat on Monday.

Earlier, Titiwangsa Member of Parliament Datuk Johari Abdul Ghani urged the removal of the ceiling price for local white rice to motivate paddy farmers to increase production, in order to address the current supply shortage of locally produced rice.

Johari suggested raising the ceiling price for rice to RM32 per 10kg from the current RM26, while continuing to provide subsidies to B40 households nationwide.

"The current rice shortage has affected 3.2 million B40 households nationwide, and based on the suggestion of raising the ceiling price to RM32 per 10kg, the government would only need to allocate RM460 million to subsidise these B40 households," he stated.

Johari added that these subsidies would be a temporary measure, and the government can withdraw them once the supply of locally produced white rice returns to normal.

Address rice shortage, not distribution

Meanwhile, former agriculture minister Ronald Kiandee (PN-Beluran) criticised the government's decision to instruct the Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority (FAMA) and the Farmers’ Organization Committee (LPP) to act as distributors of local white rice.

"We are currently facing a shortage of locally produced white rice, not a distribution issue. The government's move does not address the main issue," he said.

Ronald Kiandee also urged the government to investigate allegations of manipulation in the sale of locally produced rice as imported rice. 

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