Government needs to release more land for food cultivation - The Star

COMMENT By V.K. CHIN

WHILE rice is Malaysia’s staple food, wheat is the other grain that can contribute towards a higher cost of living. Many flour-based products, such as bread and noodles also form an important part of our daily diet.

Bread, roti canai and noodles are standard fare for most Malaysians and any price increase will hit consumers’ pockets immediately.

Unlike rice, the production and price of wheat is beyond the control of the Government since it cannot be grown locally and we have to depend on countries like Australia, New Zealand and other producers.

Due to bad weather, wheat harvest in Australia has been badly affected and this has naturally led to a shortage, resulting in higher prices.

Where rice is concerned, the Government has been pointing out that padi farmers have to be heavily subsidised to ensure that they continue to plant it.

With the grain fetching such good prices, the Government should be able to reduce such subsidies, as cultivators should be getting a better return for their labour.

If they don’t, then something must be wrong. This can only mean that they are not benefiting from the current high price and the Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Ministry should look into this without delay.

Farmers have always been shortchanged when it comes to getting a better deal for their produce. Those who make money are usually the middlemen, who have never taken an active part in planting the crop.

The ministry must come up with a system whereby farmers will get better prices for their goods proportionately. In rice, it could be the collectors and millers who will make sure they get the lowest price for the padi.

If farmers’ income should be increased, then the Government should be spending less money to encourage them to remain in this sector.

Farming is seasonal and cultivators will have to wait for the crop to be harvested and sold before they can be paid for their efforts.

At the same time, the ministry must constantly monitor the situation for farmers of other crops and fishermen so that they will receive just monetary rewards for their hard work.

With several agencies already in existence to look after many of these sectors, there should be no excuse for farmers and fishermen to be exploited by any group.

It is not only rice that the Government should be concerned with. The plight of other farmers, such as fruit, vegetables, aquaculture, poultry and animal husbandry, should not be neglected either.

The production of such food items can be increased quite substantially provided land is available for this purpose. But land is a state matter and there is nothing the federal government can do to get them to provide more land for such purposes.

For example, in Perak, farmers of fruit, greens and cash crops faced extreme difficulties in getting the previous state government to release land for their activities.

Now that Pakatan Rakyat has formed the new state government, it should release more land, which the state has in abundance, for agricultural purposes.

If this should happen, then food production in the state would increase quite substantially and this will help to reduce the price of fruit, vegetables and meat, thus easing inflation