THE Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Ministry has given an assurance that nine padi seed suppliers will be investigated for providing poor quality seeds.

Minister Salahuddin Ayub said  the ministry’s deputy secretary-general Salim Parjan would head a special task force and action would be taken on completion of the investigation.

“We have to be firm and must not accept excuses from the suppliers anymore  … for years the farmers have been lamenting over the issue of poor quality seeds.

“I will be getting the report soon and we will ensure better control so that policies and procedures are complied with in future,” he told reporters at a Hari Raya celebration organised by the National Fishermen’s Association (Nekmat) in Termerloh yesterday.

He was commenting on recent media reports on claims by padi farmers that their poor income was due to the poor quality seeds which have been supplied to them. – Bernama, June 19, 2019.