Food crisis reports cause panic buying of fish

 

Deputy agriculture and food industries minister Ahmad Hamzah (right) at an exhibition to promote freshwater fish held at a supermarket in Ampang, Selangor, today. (Facebook pic)

KUALA LUMPUR: Panic buying caused by reports of a food crisis led to a recent surge in demand for fish, the head of the fisheries department said today.

The director-general of fisheries, Sufian Sulaiman, said there was enough supply of fish in the country, from fish breeding and fish catches.

Sufian said Malaysians consume an average of about 42kg of fish a year.

“Do not panic buy as we have enough supplies,” he said at the launch of a campaign to consume freshwater fish here today.

He said the department ensured that fishermen are given training to use new technologies such as the “super intensive” systems to increase productivity.

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The campaign launched today is an effort by the fisheries department to encourage the community to use freshwater fish in their daily meals, thus increasing the demand and production of freshwater fish.

The state-level campaign by the Selangor fisheries office, was launched by the deputy minister for agriculture and food industries, Ahmad Hamzah, at a supermarket in Ampang. - FMT