PETALING JAYA: The new floor price of padi was set after taking into account all parties involved - with the priority being farmers and consumers, says Agriculture and Food Security Minister Mohamad Sabu.
He said this to the media after announcing the adjustment of the padi floor price from RM1,300 to RM1,500 in the Dewan Rakyat on Thursday (Feb 13).
The padi floor price is the minimum price which millers will buy from padi farmers on the ground.
“We hope this is a win-win between the farmers, millers and consumers. We have to take the interests of all - prioritising the farmers and consumers.
“We hope all stakeholders will benefit from the announcement that we have made,” said Mohamad.
He also called on padi farmers in Kedah to emulate the Sekinchan farming methods as it would greatly increase the yield of padi fields.
“The padi fields in Sekinchan, Sabak bernam and Sungai Besar have the biggest yields in the country. What is important for now is that the Malaysian subsidy for padi farmers is the biggest in the Southeast Asian region.
“We are looking at increasing the yield. If the Sekinchan farming method is used in Kedah, the yield will be bigger.
“As for Langkawi itself, I visited it on my own. There is still grass within the padi fields,” said Mohamad.
The government had come under fire on the floor padi price after hundreds of farmers held a protest to send a memo to the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on Jan 27, seeking padi floor price to be raised to RM1,800 and a relook at the Quality Crop Seed Bill.
