Govt needs to address chicken supply, food security - Kula

 

Ipoh Barat MP M Kulasegaran has called on Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s administration to reveal its plan to guarantee food security in the country.

He said this after news of a chicken farm’s temporary closure and poultry sellers contemplating a strike.

"In Ipoh, when I visited the markets, I met with sellers who said they will go on strike as they are unable to make money following the chicken ceiling price of RM8.90 per kilogram set by the government.

"The price, they say, is not feasible as that amounts to their cost price and would make no sense for them to do business this way.

"Hence, the government should step in and roll out subsidies immediately as food security is a very important matter that cannot be delayed due to the ministers’ incompetence or lack of efficiency," Kulasegeran said in a statement this morning.

He called on the prime minister to step in and act immediately before the situation escalates.

"The government should also know that due to world events, we are bound to feel the effects of food shortage soon, so what is the government's plan?

"There must be a mechanism to address food shortage. We have been so dependent on food from overseas which amounts to a mammoth RM50 billion a year," he added.

Push for local farming

This is despite the country having enough land and good weather for agriculture, he said, as well as the potential for urban farming and vertical farming.

"Why not encourage more Malaysians to be involved in farming so we can control the fate of our food? Why not introduce subsidies and grants to start this business, provide free skilling and upskilling for vertical farming and allocate land for this?" Kulasegaran asked.

The former human resources minister lauded the move by Ipoh Mayor Rumaizi Baharin who launched the Urban Farming project in the Perak capital.

"This should be done nationwide so that more people can participate even if it means planting chillies in a small pot at home.

"If food shortage is not addressed, Malaysians from the lower-income group may suffer tremendously and it may even lead to malnourishment," he warned. - Mkini