A Cabinet paper on the new floor price for padi will be presented next week, says Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
He said Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu would reveal the new price and explain the projected effects on both farmers and consumers.
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He said Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu would reveal the new price and explain the projected effects on both farmers and consumers.
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NewsTranscript
00:00I would like to ask the Prime Minister to state whether the government is planning to re-examine the existing base,
00:12which is the production of 70% of local rice and the importation of 30% of foreign rice for the use of the people in this country,
00:22so that the rice industry remains intact and sustainable, in line with the country's agri-food standards 2021-2030 or DEN 2.0.
00:35Please, Mr. Prime Minister.
00:37Thank you, Mr. President. I believe this question comes from someone who also has experience and concern.
00:45And this issue also raises a bit of a problem and concern among the people,
00:54such as the importance of a relatively poor rice field and the cost to consumers who do not want the price of rice to be increased.
01:07So, the basic issue in terms of food security must be added.
01:14But what is happening now is that steps have been taken by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security
01:22to expand rice cultivation activities in order to meet the agri-food standards that have been set,
01:33a higher increase in the need for local rice.
01:39So, apart from the steps that have been taken in Semenanjo,
01:43Sarawak and Sabah, especially Sarawak, have started a rice cultivation project
01:52with seeds and rice that are thought to be able to increase productivity.
01:57The second is our efforts to increase productivity.
02:03We have approved RM1 billion for Mada.
02:07And we will launch this at the end of this month, God willing,
02:12so that in the existing rice fields, the addition of RM1 billion can guarantee an increase in productivity,
02:22so that at least it can meet about 56% of the current location needs to 70%.
02:34Thank you, Your Honour.
02:36Last weekend, we were visited by several rice farmers
02:46and they asked me to convey my condolences to the government
02:52that the cost of rice cultivation in this country has increased drastically.
03:01The cost of rice cultivation has increased.
03:06The cost of rice cultivation has increased.
03:09The government has increased the cost of rice cultivation from RM45 to RM58 for a 20-kilogram plot of land.
03:17The cost of rice cultivation has increased.
03:21The subsidy that has been announced, this is what they asked us to delay.
03:25The diesel subsidy under the SKDS scheme, they want to inform the government
03:36that the rice farmers do not enjoy the diesel subsidy.
03:46And this is an important component of the rice paddy industry to help the rice fields.
03:53The rice farmers do not use machines.
03:59This is not included. They want the government to know this.
04:03And they also want the government to know that the rice that they produce in this market
04:11which is supposedly sold for RM2.60 per kilogram, is no longer available.
04:17Now, local white rice is sold for RM3.00, RM3.50, RM4.00 per kilogram.
04:25So, the rice farmers see that their rice is not sold for RM2.60.
04:30So, this is my question.
04:33The question, Dato' Stansri.
04:35In the list of the 73 conditions, the rice fields are an important component.
04:45Does the government see the concern and empathy towards the suffering that the rice fields are experiencing?
04:55The government is concerned about the importers.
04:59The importers, due to the decrease in the price of rice in the market,
05:05they allow the importers to import rice at a cost of RM3.000 per tonne.
05:10And now, it is reduced to RM2.800 per tonne.
05:15The rice producers, Dato' Stansri, their problems are okayed by the government.
05:22But the importers, they want the price of rice fields to be RM1.800 per tonne.
05:31Even if the price of rice is bought at RM1.800 per tonne from the importers,
05:37they are still B4T.
05:39They will not jump to T20, T15.
05:43Is the government concerned about the problems that the importers are facing?
05:49This is what I want to ask Dato' Stansri.
05:51Thank you, Dato' Stansri.
05:55I am grateful for the discussion.
06:00Because we are following the issue.
06:05It's not new.
06:06I remember around 1992-1993,
06:09there was a big protest around Al-Astaghf.
06:13I was there.
06:16And there was also a protest in Makaraw at that time.
06:20And there, we tried to raise the price of rice.
06:26But the problem of rice fields, especially in the north,
06:32including the north coast,
06:34such as Kepala Batas, Tasikulugor,
06:37as well as the Madar and Perlis areas,
06:39and Kelantan,
06:41is because the productivity is very low.
06:43So the people are poor.
06:46So that's why they raised the price.
06:49But as we know,
06:51as you know,
06:53there are no firm steps that have been taken before to raise the price.
07:00Including 2020, 2021, and 2022,
07:03there are no drastic steps.
07:08Only after the Madani government rose the price,
07:11only then did the special aid for the rice fields increase.
07:16It was increased to Rp228 million in 2023.
07:21And in 2024,
07:24it was increased to Rp600 a year for each rice field.
07:28It wasn't done before this.
07:31The special aid for rice fields,
07:33I discussed with the rice fields.
07:37Indeed, it was increased.
07:40But the rice field contract was renewed in 2021.
07:46For 10 years.
07:48So we want to raise the price.
07:50All I can ask is for a little help.
07:53That's why he gave Rp60 million in special aid for rice fields
07:56to the affected rice fields in the north.
07:59Then we added the rice planting scheme.
08:04The initial fund in 2024 was Rp50 million.
08:08We only increased the price of rice fields in 2024.
08:15It was increased.
08:18And of course it was high in Sabah Sarawak
08:20because the price of rice was too high in Sabah Sarawak.
08:23So for 2023-2024,
08:27we set a high price.
08:29For the first time, it was Rp420 million for Sabah Sarawak
08:32to cover the high price.
08:38Then the subsidy scheme for rice fields.
08:40It was increased.
08:43The rice fields were cleaned.
08:44Rp500 million per ton.
08:46Instead of Rp360 million.
08:50Then the budget and so on.
08:52Including Rp1 billion that we have approved
08:55and I will launch in 2025.
08:58I want to explain to the people.
09:00Today, what we have given is Rp1 billion.
09:05We haven't been able to cover the cost yet.
09:09Next week, the Minister of Agriculture
09:13will submit a letter to the Minister
09:17to clarify and announce the increase.
09:22But we have to remember
09:23the increase in the price of rice fields
09:25will cause an increase in the price of rice for consumers.
09:30So how do we balance this?
09:32The increase in the price of rice fields
09:35will cause an increase in the price of rice for consumers.
09:38We don't want to increase the price of rice for consumers.
09:40So far, I have discussed with the Ministry of Finance
09:45so that the government will cover the subsidy
09:49so that the price of rice for consumers
09:56will not be increased.
09:57The government will cover Rp150 million for 6 months.
10:02That will be covered in a short period of time.
10:05So I want to assure the people
10:07that even though I understand there are obstacles,
10:10we have received the memorandum
10:12and we have discussed with the Minister of Agriculture
10:19that we will handle this.
10:21But don't deny it.
10:23The increase that I mentioned earlier
10:25is for 2023-2024.
10:27The previous increase was for 2022,
10:302021, and 2020.
10:32That is what I want to raise.
10:34So while I agree with Mr. Berluran,
10:38don't deny it.
10:39This is a fact.
10:43You are making a lot of noise
10:46carrying people with buses,
10:48but when you are in power, you don't increase it.
10:50We increase it.
10:54I would like to invite Mr. Sungai Petani.
10:57Thank you, Mr. President.
10:58Mr. Sungai Petani, stick to the main question.
11:02Thank you, Mr. President.
11:03Ladies and gentlemen,
11:04if we look at the decline in rice production,
11:08it has decreased by 4.7%.
11:11And if we look at the development of AI technology,
11:15how can the use of, for example, smart SBB
11:18and the use of high-power rice husks
11:21increase rice production
11:23and we don't depend on imported rice?
11:26And recently, if we look at Kedah,
11:29one of the countries with the highest rice production,
11:32and recently,
11:34there was a leader of Kedah
11:36who said that there was a deviation
11:39in clothing, rice, etc.
11:43And I want to ask,
11:44is this rice production caused by productivity
11:49or is there a deviation?
11:50I would like justifications and clarifications
11:53from Mr. Tambon.
11:56I don't want to deny that there is a deviation.
11:58Let the authorities investigate.
12:01I have also studied Mr. Tambon's statement.
12:04And if there is evidence,
12:06we can take action.
12:08But what is true is that
12:10the productivity of rice production
12:14in Kedah, Perlis, Kelantan, and Tengganu
12:18is very low compared to Sekinchan.
12:21So what is done is
12:23to face several plans
12:26that were implemented in Sekinchan
12:30to be applied,
12:31including rice husks
12:33and management that may use
12:35part of it through digital AI
12:38and drones,
12:39as was done by Saim Dhabi
12:41for the palm oil industry.
12:44I would like to thank the students of Kedah
12:47for cooperating
12:49in managing the land
12:51appropriately
12:53to speed up.
12:54And this has been accelerated.
12:55That is why the launch
12:57that was supposed to be done
12:58at the end or mid-year
13:00will be done this month
13:03by the Ministry
13:05with the aim of increasing productivity.
13:07The issue is productivity
13:09because the difference is too big
13:11between what is done in Selangor
13:13and in Kedah
13:14and we have to increase it.
13:15And I have suggested
13:17that because the government is worried
13:19about the land area,
13:22we do not mean to increase the area.
13:25In fact, the area can be reduced
13:27if the productivity is increased.