Selangor to subsidise imported rice purchase until year end, says exco rep


SHAH ALAM: The Selangor government will subsidise the purchase of imported rice through Padiberas Nasional Bhd (Bernas) until the end of this year to ensure a stable supply of the staple food in the state.

State Infrastructure and Agriculture Committee chairman Izham Hashim (pic) said the imported rice was bought at a price of RM17 per 5kg, and resold to the people at a price of RM13 per 5kg under the Jualan Ehsan Rakyat (JER) programme.

"Recently, we had a discussion with Bernas, they brought in the imported rice but we are selling it according to the price of local white rice (BPT), which means we are subsidising it.

"We buy for RM17 per 5kg but we sell for RM13, which is the ceiling price for BPT," he said.

"We are repacking this imported rice to be sold under the JER programme at four branches of the Selangor Agricultural Development Corporation (PKPS) and other mobile sales since last week," he told the media after the 2024 Agricultural Census Retreat Session with Selangor-level agencies, here Wednesday (Sept 27).

He said that although the Agriculture and Food Security Ministry expects the supply of the staple food to be stable within the next two to three weeks, the state government is prepared to cover the purchase subsidy for another two to three months to ensure the supply is sufficient.

On the 2024 Agricultural Census that will be carried out in the state from July to September next year, Izham said there are a total of 60,000 respondents covering individuals, companies, associations and cooperatives.

He said the state government welcomed the census programme to obtain the latest and comprehensive data to make plans for the development of the sector since the last study was carried out in 2005. - Bernama

Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!

Next In Nation

No reflection on Anwar if Nurul Izzah loses bid for PKR No. 2, says Saifuddin
PKR polls not 'us vs them' but a reminder of shared struggle, says Saifuddin
Statements of 27 people recorded in Pamela Ling abduction probe
FRU truck crash: Death toll rises to nine, all FRU personnel
Pamela Ling abduction: MACC's timeline missing some facts, says lawyer
First maritime patrol aircraft from Italy to arrive by end-2026
Set up ecological corridor to address human-elephant conflict, says Nik Nazmi
Over 16,000 cooperatives registered in Malaysia as of Dec 2024
Citizenship graft case: MACC free to probe Home Ministry even '25 hours a day', says Saifuddin
Eight FRU personnel killed in Perak road accident

Others Also Read