RAKYAT DISEKAT BELI BERAS LOCAL, MAXIMUM 100 KILO. APA SUDAH JADI DENGAN NATIONAL RICE STOCKPILE DULU?

 

 

Rice price and supply shocks another factor in taming inflation

• KL (Sept 8): increased import prices, shortages, manipulation  
• Gomen imposed 100 kg limit on purchase of local white rice
• announced by ministry on Thursday.
• restriction starting today
• Each pax only buy 100 kg [total]
• fine RM15k 1st offence, RM25k subsequent offences, cancel license
• Concerns over supply and price manipulation 
• price raised this month by sole importer Bernas
• from RM2,350 per tonne increase 36% to RM3,200 per tonne
  
• 1/3 of rice consumed in Malaysia is imported
• country rice inventories equivalent to 1½ months of consumption
• monthly rice requirement 200,000 metric tons

My Comments : 

I received the following from a former Cabinet Minister (Primary Industries). 

There used to be a NATIONAL RICE STOCKPILE policy. Both stocks in Private Mills and LPN (Bernas) controlled ones...all the the time must be between 65% to 80% of NATIONAL consumption. Monitoring all the time.

So what happened to this National Rice Stockpile? If the monthly rice requirement is 200,000 tons that is 2.4 million tons a year.

Using monthly rice requirement of 200,000 tonnes, 80% of 200k tons = 160,000 tonnes in stockpile in the country (Bernas plus private mills). 

So do we have 160,000 tonnes of rice in the National Rice Stockpile every month?

1 kg local white rice = RM2.60 /kg or RM2,600 per tonne

So 160k tonnes x RM2,600 = RM 416.0 Million worth of rice stockpile (rough calculation)

IS THERE STILL SUCH A THING AS THE NATIONAL RICE STOCKPILE?

Can Mat Sabu answer? Abang Mat tolong jawab sikit.

On 1st September 2023 it was reported about Bernas that :

• Bernas remains intact and competitive
• sole gatekeeper for country's paddy and rice

Ok so if Bernas is the  "sole gatekeeper for the country's paddy and rice"   is Bernas maintaining a Rice Stockpile?  Hello Members of Parliament yang berkenaan, please raise these questions in the next Parliamentary session.

In November 2022 we were told that Bernas had agreed to contribute RM60 million cash handout for the poor paddy farmers. 

RM10 million was to be paid in December 2022 while the remaining RM50 million was to be paid out "later". 

Is this real or just another bullshit announcement?

Has Bernas paid out that first RM10 million in December 2022?

Has Bernas paid out the balance RM50 million? 

It is now September 2023 already.

Everything costs money. Including National Rice Stockpiles. 

My rough calculation shows a stockpile of 160k tonnes costs  over RM400 Million.

So how? If they pay RM10 million in December 2022, paid another RM50 million here and there will they still have money to maintain a National Rice Stockpile?

IS THERE STILL SUCH A THING AS THE NATIONAL RICE STOCKPILE?

 

There is electric wire, telephone wire, steel wire. Then there is also going haywire.

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.