MUAR, Aug 28 — The Agriculture and Food Security Ministry held dialogues with rice milling companies last Saturday, through its Paddy and Rice Regulatory Division, to discuss the issue of super special local (SST) rice stocks in the market.
Its Minister, Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu said the current supply of the more expensive imported rice is sufficient but the supply of SST rice needs to be streamlined.
Commenting on allegations that some traders were switching the local rice packaging with imported rice packaging to make profits, Mohamad said the ministry has yet to receive any specific report on the matter.
“It has been mentioned in general but there are no specific reports, if there is, our enforcement personnel will act quickly to prevent such attempts.”
He was speaking to reporters after a South Zone farmers meeting organised by the National Farmers Organisation (Nafas), here today,
The Farmers’ Organisation Authority chairman Datuk Mahfuz Omar; Nafas board of directors chairman, Datuk Zamri Yaakob; Farmers’ Organisation Authority Director-General Datuk Azulita Salim and Nafas general manager Muhammad Faris Arriffin were also present at the meeting.
SST is a type of local rice that contains five per cent broken grains and the price is regulated by the government at RM13 per five-kilogramme bag and RM26 for 10 kg, unlike the price of imported rice, which is not regulated.
— Bernama
