ALOR STAR: The Malaysian Padi Farmers Brotherhood Organisation (Pesawah) has welcomed the government's decision to review the floor price for padi, which has been set at RM1,300 per metric tonne for over a decade.
However, chairman Abdul Rashid Yob expressed farmers' concerns about the need for swift action in revising the padi purchase price and the ceiling retail price for local white rice.
He urged the Agriculture and Food Security Ministry to address the issue promptly, after discussions with various agencies and proposals for solutions from farmers.
"We appreciate the government's move to review the current floor price for padi.
"However, we urge swift, proactive steps from the ministry, as this issue has persisted for nearly two years. Farmers have provided solutions, but there has been no concrete action," he said when contacted.
Rashid said this in response to Agriculture and Food Security Minister Mohamad Sabu's announcement on Monday that the government is reviewing the floor price for padi purchases, set at RM1,300 per tonne.
He said that the RM1,300 floor price was insufficient, as it fell below the soaring input and production costs, which had risen by 50 per cent in recent years.
He said that farmers, on average, produced two metric tonnes of padi per season, earning RM2,600 at the current price.
"After factoring in government aid and RM1,500 in farming costs, their net income is only RM2,100 per season, which translates to a meagre monthly income of RM350.
"Farmers are struggling to meet their basic needs," Rashid said, pointing out that the minimum wage in the private sector was RM1,700, which is far higher than what padi farmers earn.
Pesawah is also calling for a revision of the ceiling price for locally produced white rice, set at RM2.50 per kilogramme in 2008.
Rashid said that unless this ceiling price is updated, issues such as the rebranding of local rice as imported rice and the ongoing supply shortages would persist.
He said that padi millers were willing to raise the padi purchase price if the ceiling price for white rice was reviewed.
However, they are currently unable to do so due to rising operational costs, including the new minimum wage.
As a result, Pesawah plans to stage peaceful protests nationwide, with a major gathering scheduled in front of the Prime Minister's Office in Putrajaya on Jan 22, to demand a fairer floor price for padi.