FIFTY thousand bags of certified padi seeds (BPS) were set to be approved tomorrow, with 31,000 for the Muda Agricultural Development Authority and 19,000 to be distributed in Perlis and outside Kedah’s rice belt.

Agriculture and Food Security Minister Mohamad Sabu said this was a drastic short-term measure taken by the ministry to ensure adequate supply of BPS and to control prices.

He said the ministry earlier approved 532,325 bags of BPS for use in Kedah and Perlis, with a production record of 89,723 bags on October 18, 151,200 bags on October 26, 79,142 bags on November 3 and 112,260 bags on November 10.

“The ministry has been monitoring and controlling the approval and laboratory processes for 12 BPS producers according to the standard operating procedure set by departments and agencies before they are sold to farmers,” he said during Ministers’ Question Time in the Dewan Rakyat today.

He was responding to a question from Ahmad Fakhruddin Fakhrurazi (Kuala Kedah-PN) on immediate measures taken by the ministry to address the sale of BPS, which is taking a toll on farmers and affecting rice production as well as the country’s rice self-sufficiency rate.

The minister said the current demand for BPS is 72,000 tonnes or 3.6 million bags per year, with farmers enjoying an incentive of RM1.03 per kg of BPS purchased from government-appointed producers.

As for long-term measures, Mohamad said the government would study the purchase prices of padi and padi seeds to ensure a win-win situation for all parties, including retailers and consumers.

He said his ministry would discuss price coordination with the Economy Ministry, Finance Ministry and Domestic Trade and Costs of Living Ministry soon.

Mohamad said the government was considering raising the ceiling price of local white rice to address the domestic shortage.

“The RM26 price for local white rice has been in place since 2008. If there is to be an increase in the ceiling price, we need to discuss it with other ministries.

“The discussion will be chaired by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim,and we will also get the views of MPs in padi cultivation areas,” he said in reply to Nurul Amin Hamid (Padang Terap-PN) about whether the government would raise the ceiling price of local white rice. – Bernama, November 16, 2023.