TANJONG KARANG, Dec 22 — The Agriculture and Food Industries Ministry (Mafi), through the National Farmers Organisation (Nafas), will purchase certified paddy seeds from ten licensed companies that have been identified for the Certified Paddy Seed Incentive (IBPS) programe.
Nafas board of directors chairman, Dr Anis Mahmud, said that a total of 36,000 metric tonnes of paddy seeds purchased from these companies will be supplied to about 320,000 farmers in the Peninsula, starting with the first season of cultivation early next year.
“Nafas is ready to become the sole wholesaler to supply certified paddy seeds to farmers with a ceiling price of RM35 per 20 kilograms (kg) set by Mafi.
“We will also appoint registered agents so that these certified seeds reach the farmers,” he told reporters after the Certified Paddy Seed Distribution programme at the Paddy Purchase Centre, launched by Agriculture and Food Industry Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ronald Kiandee, here today.
Also present was the Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food Industry I, Datuk Seri Ahmad Hamzah.
Anis said that the ceiling price set by Mafi also indirectly helped farmers reduce the cost of purchasing certified paddy seeds as well as encouraging the use of high quality seeds which are disease resistant and reduce the risk of weedy rice or ‘padi angin’.
“By setting a maximum price of RM35 per 20 kg of certified seeds, it enables huge savings (to farmers), as prior to this some farmers bought paddy seeds at up to RM60 for every 20 kg,” he said.
One of the farmers, Abdul Razak Mat Ajir, 73, when met by Bernama, said that setting the price ceiling for certified seeds can reduce the cost for those who need to spend a lot of capital, especially during planting at the beginning of the season.
“Previously, the price of certified paddy seeds reached RM70 per 20 kg. The government’s move to introduce a ceiling price has given us a breather and it reduces our cost, especially at the beginning of the planting season,” he said.
Another farmer, Mohamad Ngizi Abd Rashid, 51, also thanked the government for the initiative to reduce the price of certified seeds, which can indirectly increase the income of the group.
At the Dewan Negara sitting last Wednesday, Kiandee said that the improvement of the IBPS programme was to ensure quality of service, apart from giving farmers the right to choose the best type of certified paddy seeds to be planted.
IBPS improvements outline five directions, namely appointing Nafas as the sole wholesaler of the programme; ceiling price set for certified seeds at RM35 per bag (20kg); licences and distribution permits granted to those registered with the government; several varieties of certified seeds will be produced by licensed seed producers; as well as providing a buffer stock scheme for certified seeds.
— Bernama
