RISING food prices, particularly the recent hike in the price of rice, have hit food banks hard as donors begin to feel the pinch, several food bank operators said.

Rice donations fell by as much as 80%, they told The Malaysian Insight.

While most operators are alarmed at the drastic reduction in one of their basic food commodities, others like House of Love founder and director Joseph Pang said this is expected.

“Whenever the price of any food item goes up, the quantity of that donated item tends to decrease,” Pang said.

“When the price of cooking oil rose in the past, the quantity of donated item dropped from three cans to just one. The situation is similar now with rice, which has decreased by 60-70%.

“Donors who had promised us rice could not find cheap local rice in the supermarkets. Ten kg bags of rice that were priced at around RM20 are now nowhere to be found.”

He said for now, House of Love does not have to worry about buying rice as it has stock that could last another two to three months.

“We are not certain after that,” he said.

The orphanage in Klang, Selangor, Pang said, had received a sizeable donation from a temple before the rice price hike.

To extend its assistance to more needy people, the orphanage has opened a food bank.

Pang said if it faces a shortage of rice later, it could probably switch to alternatives like noodles.

House of Love distributes food supplies to some 160 households in the Klang Valley, with each household receiving about RM200 worth of food, primarily dry foodstuffs and daily necessities.

Lau Yit Meng, chairman of Persatuan TCM Harapan Baru in Ipoh, Perak, is similarly moaning over the shortfall in donations.

This traditional Chinese medicine centre has been operating a food bank since 2021 to assist needy senior citizens in the state.

Lau said inflation has also increased the centre’s operating expenses.

“In a situation like this when we have to dig deep into our pockets, what we buy need not be of quality,” he said.

“The priority is buying in quantity. We, therefore, don’t buy goods that are of well-known brands.

“They are relatively more expensive. We buy non-branded ones. The price difference could be significant.”

As donations decreased, the number of people seeking help has increased, Lau said.

He said the number of food banks in Ipoh had also dropped dramatically since the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions were lifted.

He said there are probably only three left, including Persatuan TCM Harapan Baru.

“We have to be around as we truly want to help people,” he said.

Fundraising plan

Peter Heng Sing Meing of HOL 448 Food Bank in Subang, Selangor, said since the rise in rice price, the centre is only receiving 5kg bags of rice instead of the usual 10kg ones.

“Most people now donate the 5kg bag,” he said.

Heng said that would affect how much households would now get.

“Each household will probably get less, maybe 12 to 14 items, whereas it used to be 16 to 18 previously.”

Those getting assistance from HOL 448 are the low-income families, single mothers, the elderly and those with chronic illnesses.

Heng said the recipients received assistance for a fixed period of six months.

He said after that, they were assessed to see if the assistance needed to be continued.

“Since the number of applicants keeps increasing, we can’t immediately provide assistance to everyone in need. After all, we also hope to provide supplies to families that truly need them,” he said.

Heng said the food bank currently has three months of stock.

He said the centre is planning to hold a fundraising event next year.

On September 1, Bernas said to align with international white rice market prices, the price of imported white rice in Malaysia was increased from RM2,350 per tonne to RM3,200 – a 36% increase.

Due to the rise in the price of imported white rice, people have been rushing to buy local white rice, exacerbating the shortage of the commodity.

In addition to white rice, some dry goods like bread are also expected to increase in price. Gardenia Bakeries (KL) Sdn Bhd, for example, will increase the prices of 30 products starting today. – October 1, 2023.