Malaysia: Government eyeing regional rice sources amid India-Pakistan tensions

The government has not ruled out the possibility of increasing rice imports from other countries in the region following the ongoing tensions between India and Pakistan.

Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu said the issue is expected to affect Malaysia’s imported rice supply.

“Yes (supply could be affected), because these two countries (account for) about 38% (of our imported rice). I hope and am confident that both sides do not want war”.

“However, we will work with countries such as Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia to ensure sufficient rice supply in the country,” he told a press conference after the opening of the Perak Farmers Organisation’s Certified Padi Seed Production Centre here on Tuesday (May 6).

Earlier, Perak Ruler Sultan Nazrin Shah graced and officiated the ceremony.

Tensions between India and Pakistan spiked following a terror attack in Kashmir on April 22, which claimed 26 lives.

In another development, Mohamad was confident that there would be no panic buying of chicken eggs, citing sufficient supply through ongoing government initiatives such as the Rahmah Sales and Agro Sales programmes.

On predictions that egg prices may rise by up to 3 sen per egg following the full removal of government subsidies on Aug 1, he called it speculation.

“It’s just a projection. We’ve seen similar concerns before, such as when chicken prices were floated, but they remained stable.

“With global feed costs like soy and grain corn on a downward trend, we hope egg prices will also remain steady,” he said.

The Federation of Livestock Farmers’ Associations of Malaysia was quoted in a news report Tuesday as saying that egg prices could increase if production costs remain at the current rate of 38 sen per egg after the subsidy removal.

Tags: prices, rice, Pakistan, India, Malaysia, imports, eggs