BENTONG, October 6 – Panic buying exceeding monthly needs, along with the shifting trend from imported white rice to local white rice, has disrupted the regular food supply in the market. The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu, stated that consumers who usually purchased imported rice faced rising prices, leading them to switch to local rice. He mentioned that a viral video suggesting a rice shortage further exacerbated the situation, causing panic and rushes to supermarkets. People from Petaling Jaya, people from Shah Alam, they don’t usually care about local rice.
They all eat imported rice. Local rice is RM26, (while) imported rice is RM32, RM34; it’s not too expensive, and they say imported rice is good. But when the price of imported rice increases to RM37 to RM40, they start looking for local rice. When the viral video said there would be no rice next month, the public rushed to buy rice. Normally, they buy one bag per month; now they buy three bags. That means they are taking other people’s (supply of) two bags… those who used to buy two bags a month now buy four bags,” he said during the Unity Chit-Chat Program in Kampung Hayat here on Sunday.
Thus, Mohamad added, the public is advised not to panic buy local white rice by purchasing rice according to their family’s monthly needs and not stockpiling. He also acknowledged that the supply situation was somewhat chaotic due to India’s decision to halt exports, but it is now calming down with both short-term and long-term plans being implemented by the government. We will discuss with the Prime Minister (today), if everyone agrees, government agencies such as hospitals, army camps, police, and so on, will be asked to purchase imported rice.
“After that, the supply of local rice will return to the market. If that doesn’t work, I will find another solution because that’s the short-term plan,” he said. Mohamad also informed that the Muda Agricultural Development Authority (Mada) is currently working towards harvesting paddy yields for five seasons over a two-year period, and this effort will take several years. He said paddy cultivation would be expanded in Terengganu, Pahang, Sabah, and Sarawak.
