ALOR STAR: ST15 grade rice will now be packed at the mills to ensure supply reaches the market faster.

This job was previously done by wholesalers who received the supply from the millers.

The ST15, which is made up of 15 per cent broken rice, is sold in 10-kilogramme packets and is the only grade under price control.

The move to allow the millers to package the ST15 was aimed at clearing supply bottlenecks.

This was decided at a meeting with Padiberas Nasional Bhd (Bernas), the Padi and Rice Control Division of the Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-based Industry, Kedah Rice Millers Association, Kedah-Perlis Rice Millers Association and rice wholesalers here yesterday.
Kedah Rice Millers Association president Datuk Chew Giok Kun said the move would result in rice reaching the market faster.

Kedah-Perlis Rice Millers Association chairman Ong Soon Thye said the millers were told that the ST15 grade must account for 10 per cent of their market supply.

He said Kedah's weekly consumption of rice was about 10 tonnes.

Meanwhile in Perlis, Menteri Besar Datuk Dr Md Isa Sabu said the state government had set up a committee to monitor the smuggling of rice across the border.

It would co-ordinate enforcement along the border to check on any attempts to smuggle rice, diesel or other essential goods into Thailand.

Despite receiving no reports on rice smuggling so far, Md Isa said the committee wanted to prevent any possibility of smuggling.

The committee is chaired by state secretary Mohamad Zabidi Zainal and made up of police, state Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry enforcement division, Anti-Smuggling Unit and state Customs Department.

Md Isa said special focus would be given to laluan tikus or illegal smuggling points along the Perlis-Thailand border.

He also said the state's supply of rice was sufficient, and that prices were under control.