KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob (pic) 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 regulate the associated fee of residing attributable to rising inflation.
The prime minister mentioned middlemen exploit the exhausting work of farmers and fishermen and manipulate market costs.
Ismail Sabri mentioned he himself had waged warfare in opposition to middlemen by way of the ‘War Against Middlemen’ marketing campaign in 2014 whereas helming the Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-based Industry.
“The National Farmers Organisation (Nafas) should proceed this combat by way of methods similar to creating padi buying and fruit assortment centres and in addition by having extra 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 common assembly right here tonight, which was additionally attended by Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ronald Kiandee.
Ismail Sabri mentioned meals inflation was a worldwide phenomenon because of the disruption of the meals provide chain attributable to the Covid-19 pandemic which curbed agricultural actions, in flip decreasing meals exports and this example worsened when the Russia-Ukraine warfare broke out.
“The warfare has threatened the supply of some of the world’s staple crops, inflicting meals inflation to worsen.
“Concerns of inadequate meals provide is a worldwide subject and never solely in Malaysia,” he mentioned.
He additionally expressed concern that if the warfare prolongs, the results, similar to on the worth of fertilisers, pesticides and so forth, might worsen.
Ismail Sabri mentioned the rise in the inflation price was a worldwide phenomenon that was additionally skilled by most international locations attributable to disruptions in the meals provide chain.
However, Ismail Sabri mentioned Malaysia at the moment had an inflation price of 2.2%, decrease than different international locations together with the United States (8.5%), United Kingdom (7%), Singapore (5.4%), Australia (4.5%) and Indonesia (2.6%).
He additionally gave a dedication that the issues confronted by the farming neighborhood, particularly in the present international scenario which has resulted in a rise in the associated fee of uncooked supplies will all the time be given due consideration by the federal government.
Meanwhile, Ismail Sabri mentioned the federal government needed 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 arrange lengthy and short-term plans to stop a meals disaster in the nation.
Apart from that, he urged Nafas to breathe new life into the agro-based meals sector by way of the appliance of excessive expertise and digitalisation in order to extend agricultural manufacturing and cut back dependence on meals imports.
He additionally drew the general public’s consideration with the announcement that the federal government had agreed to abolish authorised permits to convey in staple meals from international international locations with speedy impact.
“This permits all events to import fundamental meals objects into Malaysia and keep away from monopolies by sure teams or cartels that in the end manipulate costs,” he mentioned – Bernama