SIBU: The Sibu Rice Wholesalers Association has called upon the government to allocate more land for agricultural development in a bid to reduce the nation’s dependence on food imports.
The appeal comes in response to the recent surge in imported rice prices.
Its chairman Datuk Wong Kie Sing stressed the significance of rice as a staple food for the population and expressed concerns about price hikes and supply shortages.
“Rice is the most basic food for the people. We do not want to see any price increase or supply shortage.
“For a long time, our country’s production of white rice has not been enough to supply and sustain itself, so we must rely on imported white rice from foreign countries,” he said at a press conference here yesterday (Sept 2).
Wong said the price of white rice has undergone a significant hike starting immediately.
The National Rice Corporation (Bernas) announced that the cost of locally imported white rice would rise from RM2,350 per metric ton to RM3,200 as of September 1.
“Five per cent white rice priced at RM27 has now increased to RM37. However, there will be no change in the price of locally grown white rice,” he said.
Wong said that the association members only learned that the price of white rice had increased when they purchased it on Friday (Sept 1).
“For every ton of white rice, the wholesale price starts at RM850, which means that 10 kilograms of white rice costs RM8.50, and the retail price is about RM10. Other grades of white rice, including fragrant rice, start at the same price range,” he added.
Wong attributed the price hike to the reduced rice exports from Vietnam and India, the world’s second and third-largest rice exporters, resulting in a one-third decrease in the global rice supply
“As several Asian countries reduced rice exports, quotations of Thai rice, the benchmark for global rice prices, rose by more than 30 per cent, reaching a 20-year high. The sharp rise in rice prices in Thailand is undoubtedly another heavy blow to global food prices,” he said.
He said that various external factors, including climate change, unfavourable exchange rates, escalating operational costs, regional conflicts, and India’s recent ban on white rice exports, have disrupted transactions in the global white rice market.
Wong acknowledged the need for the Bernas to adjust the prices of imported white rice, taking into consideration operational requirements and stability.
However, he expressed satisfaction that Bernas has committed to closely monitoring international market prices and making price adjustments when the situation improves.
