PETALING JAYA: Padiberas Nasional Berhad (Bernas) has assured that the supply and price of imported white rice (BPI) in Malaysia remain stable and sufficient to meet the country’s needs.
The country’s sole rice importer has said that the government committee on food prices has not discussed a proposal to import white rice from Pakistan.
According to a statement from Bernas on Friday (Jan 3), Pakistan has long been one of the main suppliers of BPI for Bernas, alongside Thailand, Vietnam, and India.
“Bernas cautions any party that issues media statements related to the issue of rice imports to support their comments with facts. They should also ensure that such comments are made only after discussing them with the relevant parties, including Bernas, to avoid creating any confusion among consumers, as this could impact the stability of the national rice market,” it said.
Recently, media reports quoted the National Action Council on Cost of Living (NACCOL) Task Force (Food Cluster) chairman Datuk Syed Abu Hussin Hafiz Syed Abdul Fasal regarding the proposal to import rice from Pakistan.
He said the government is considering importing white rice from Pakistan to address ongoing issues with supply and pricing.
However, Bernas stated that Malaysia is not experiencing a rice supply crisis. The stock of imported rice remains sufficient to meet the country’s needs.
The company said that as the government's concession holder, it is committed to social responsibilities. This includes ensuring that local rice farmers have a reliable market for their produce when they are unable to sell to private mills.
“In addition, Bernas manages the country’s rice stockpile sustainably. Ensuring the availability of rice supply in the country is one of 10 social obligations worth RM3.2bil throughout the concession period.
"Bernas also supports the welfare of farmers by sharing 30% of the profits from imported rice and providing a one-off aid of RM60mil to farmers, as recently announced,” it added.
