KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob (pix) has referred to as for an finish to the use of middlemen in the agriculture sector and meals provide chain as half of efforts to manage the fee of dwelling as a result of rising inflation.
The prime minister mentioned middlemen exploit the onerous work of farmers and fishermen and manipulate market costs.
Ismail Sabri mentioned he himself had waged battle in opposition to middlemen via the ‘War Against Middlemen’ marketing campaign in 2014 whereas helming the Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-based Industry.
“The National Farmers Organisation (NAFAS) must continue this fight through strategies such as creating padi purchasing and fruit collection centres and also by having more farmers and fishermen’s markets,” he mentioned.
The prime minister mentioned this in his speech at a dinner earlier than officiating at NAFAS’ forty eighth annual normal assembly right here final night time, which was additionally attended by Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ronald Kiandee.
Ismail Sabri mentioned meals inflation was a world phenomenon as a result of disruption of the meals provide chain attributable to the Covid-19 pandemic which curbed agricultural actions, in flip lowering meals exports and this case worsened when the Russia-Ukraine battle broke out.
“The war has threatened the delivery of some of the world’s staple crops, causing food inflation to worsen. Concerns of insufficient food supply is a global issue and not only in Malaysia,” he mentioned.
He additionally expressed concern that if the battle prolongs, the consequences, comparable to on the worth of fertilisers, pesticides and so forth, might worsen.
Ismail Sabri mentioned the rise in the inflation fee was a world phenomenon that was additionally skilled by most international locations as a result of disruptions in the meals provide chain.
However, Ismail Sabri mentioned Malaysia at the moment has an inflation fee of 2.2 per cent, decrease than different international locations together with the United States (8.5 per cent), United Kingdom (7 per cent), Singapore (5.4 per cent), Australia (4.5 per cent) and Indonesia (2.6 p.c).
He additionally gave a dedication that the issues confronted by the farming group, particularly in the present world state of affairs which has resulted in a rise in the fee of uncooked supplies will at all times be given due consideration by the federal government.
Meanwhile, Ismail Sabri mentioned the federal government wished NAFAS and the Farmers Organisation Board to implement a paradigm shift to make sure the nation had enough meals provide.
He mentioned the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry was additionally instructed to organize lengthy and short-term plans to forestall a meals disaster in the nation.
Apart from that, he urged NAFAS to breathe new life into the agro-based meals sector via the appliance of excessive know-how and digitalisation in order to extend agricultural manufacturing and scale back dependence on meals imports.
He additionally drew the general public’s consideration with the announcement that the federal government had agreed to abolish accepted permits (AP) to carry in staple meals from international international locations with speedy impact.
“This permits all events to import fundamental meals gadgets into Malaysia and keep away from monopolies by sure teams or cartels that finally manipulate costs,“ he mentioned. — Bernama