KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah Agriculture and Food Industries Ministry lauded the Federal Government’s move to open up the monopoly on rice to protect the interests of local padi farmers.
Minister Junz Wong said Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Salahuddin Ayub’s move to break the monopoly to import rice by Padiberas Nasional Bhd (Bernas) and suspending the operations of the National Farmers’ Organisation of Malaysia (Nafas) were long anticipated by Sabah.
“This is what we have been fighting for in Sabah and we’re grateful it has come true,” he said in a statement Friday (June 8).
Wong also suggested that the authorities distribute fertiliser by the now-suspended Nafas to be given or transferred to Sabah.
He said this would help in implementing plans to benefit farmers as well as to prevent mismanagement.
Wong said the state now wants to work with the federal ministry in looking for new formulas and plans to develop the agriculture industry via padi farming in Sabah.
“In the context of Sabah, there are many differences compared to the peninsula in terms of infrastructure and knowledge. We need long term strategic planning to look after the welfare of farmers of padi and other crops,” he said.
Wong also said that his ministry would be making a courtesy call to Salahuddin to air their views and plans on farming activities and to foster cooperation.
On Thursday (June 7), Salahuddin, in announcing the move, said that a working paper on breaking up the monopoly would be drafted with feedback from both the ministry and other stakeholders before being submitted to the Government for further action.
He also said that the suspension order under Section 20(1) of Act 109 was issued by the Registrar of Farmers’ Organisations, following an audit on Nafas’ management that was submitted to his ministry on March 26.
Based on the report, Nafas, he said, was found to be facing serious management problems, especially in the aspects of competency, responsibility and transparency in its leadership and management.
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