KUALA LUMPUR, March 19 – The national rice and padi restructuring scheme will be announced soon after the government has finished getting views from all parties through the engagement session that is being held.
Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu said the new scheme was necessary to increase supply because local white rice production was only 62 per cent in the country with 50 per cent of it distributed for the market.
“This is a long-term arrangement because this white rice supply issue will remain problematic as long as we do not have enough rice in Malaysia. For that reason, all parties including MPs will be involved in engagement session so that they can give their views.
“This is a national problem that demands a joint solution because who would have thought that the current hot weather for example could cause production loss,” he said when replying to a question from Datuk Rosol Wahid (PN-Hulu Terengganu) in the Dewan Rakyat.
Mohamad said the ministry planned to open new padi farms in Sarawak, Sabah, Johor, Perak and Pahang to further increase the supply of white rice in the country.
