No one blocking ‘Kedah rice’ plan, Mada tells Sanusi

 

Mada chairman Ismail Salleh (left) criticised Kedah menteri besar Sanusi Nor for his prejudice against the Madani government.

PETALING JAYA: There is no move to block the Kedah government’s proposal to have its own cheaper rice, says a federal agency promoting agriculture in Kedah and Perlis.

Berita Harian reported Muda Agricultural Development Authority (Mada) chairman Ismail Salleh as saying the state government had not applied to start the scheme.

Ismail criticised Kedah menteri besar Sanusi Nor for his prejudice against the Madani government, and said the state government was free to make an application for a licence to produce “Kedah rice” like any other rice miller.

“The state government needs to apply for the licence and the authorities will consider it,” Ismail said.

Sanusi had announced last month that the state government planned to introduce a special “Kedah rice” to be sold at a cheaper price than the current market rate for white rice.

However, at the Kedah legislative assembly today, he claimed that “certain parties” were taking measures to ensure that no rice would be supplied to Kedah and also hindering the state from producing rice and making it available at a lower price.

Sanusi also said the current “rice crisis” was caused by the greed of players in the food production and agriculture industry and urged Putrajaya to look into the matter. - FMT