ALOR SETAR: The Agriculture and Food Security Ministry should establish an effective monitoring and enforcement mechanism in managing rice-related matters, especially at the production level, says a Kedah MCA leader.

       Alor Setar MCA division chairman Tan Chee Hiong claimed that difficulties in sourcing for local rice in the market had given the impression that farmers were not harvesting rice at all.

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       "This is despite statistics revealing that (the share of) local rice production has consistently remained at 60% compared to imported rice at 40%.

       "It casts a negative perception on farmers, which is the backbone of the nation's food security," he said in a statement on Friday (March 15).

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       On the proposal to raise the floor price of rice procurement and to provide additional subsidies to farmers in the upcoming National Cost of Living Action Council (NACCOL) meeting on March 20, Tan said it was worth considering to ensure that the goal of assisting farmers was achieved.

       The proposal was brought up by Datuk Syed Abu Hussin Hafiz Syed Abdul Fasal, who was chairman of NACCOL's Food Cluster Monitoring Task Force.

       "We do not want what is being said to be merely cosmetic in nature, but we want real benefits to be provided to the target groups as intended.

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       "It is crucial that every policy proposed or implemented will take into account the views and involvement of various parties, including farmers and industry players," he said.