PETALING JAYA: The chairman of a government committee on food prices has poured cold water on a proposal to allow the sale of mixed-grade rice in the local market as a solution to the shortage of local white rice.
Syed Abu Hussin Hafiz Syed Abdul Fasal said local white rice has been “disappearing” from the domestic market because imported white rice is more expensive compared to the ceiling price set for local white rice.
“Local white rice is ‘missing’ because imported white rice is expensive, while local white rice is subject to a price ceiling,” he told FMT.
He said the solution lies in setting a single price for both local and imported white rice in 10kg packages, as this would prevent any manipulation of local white rice prices.
On Jan 15, agriculture and food security minister Mohamad Sabu said the ministry was conducting a study on a proposal to allow the sale of mixed-grade rice in the local market.
Mohamad was quoted by Utusan Malaysia as saying the supply of locally produced rice must be sufficient to avoid the need for mixing it with imported white rice.
He said the issue was that many millers have complained that they cannot sell local white rice at RM26 for a 10kg package because that price was set back in 2008.
The findings of the study is expected to be presented to the prime minister in the first quarter of this year.
Mohamad also noted that the Control of Padi and Rice Act 1994 did not explicitly prohibit mixing rice of different grades.
Moreover, he said, the proposal had the support of the Malaysia Competition Commission as a potential solution to the rice supply issue.
Yesterday, Pertubuhan Persaudaraan Pesawah Malaysia representative Rafidaus Abu Bakar warned that the sale of mixed-grade rice risks compromising the quality of locally produced rice.
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