00:00I would like to ask the Prime Minister to state whether the government is planning to re-examine the existing base,
00:12which is the production of 70% of local rice and the importation of 30% of foreign rice for the use of the people in this country,
00:22so that the rice industry remains intact and sustainable, in line with the country's agri-food standards 2021-2030 or DEN 2.0.
00:35Please, Mr. Prime Minister.
00:37Thank you, Mr. President. I believe this question comes from someone who also has experience and concern.
00:45And this issue also raises a bit of a problem and concern among the people,
00:54such as the importance of a relatively poor rice field and the cost to consumers who do not want the price of rice to be increased.
01:07So, the basic issue in terms of food security must be added.
01:14But what is happening now is that steps have been taken by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security
01:22to expand rice cultivation activities in order to meet the agri-food standards that have been set,
01:33a higher increase in the need for local rice.
01:39So, apart from the steps that have been taken in Semenanjo,
01:43Sarawak and Sabah, especially Sarawak, have started a rice cultivation project
01:52with seeds and rice that are thought to be able to increase productivity.
01:57The second is our efforts to increase productivity.
02:03We have approved RM1 billion for Mada.
02:07And we will launch this at the end of this month, God willing,
02:12so that in the existing rice fields, the addition of RM1 billion can guarantee an increase in productivity,
02:22so that at least it can meet about 56% of the current location needs to 70%.
02:34Thank you, Your Honour.
02:36Last weekend, we were visited by several rice farmers
02:46and they asked me to convey my condolences to the government
02:52that the cost of rice cultivation in this country has increased drastically.
03:01The cost of rice cultivation has increased.
03:06The cost of rice cultivation has increased.
03:09The government has increased the cost of rice cultivation from RM45 to RM58 for a 20-kilogram plot of land.
03:17The cost of rice cultivation has increased.
03:21The subsidy that has been announced, this is what they asked us to delay.
03:25The diesel subsidy under the SKDS scheme, they want to inform the government
03:36that the rice farmers do not enjoy the diesel subsidy.
03:46And this is an important component of the rice paddy industry to help the rice fields.
03:53The rice farmers do not use machines.
03:59This is not included. They want the government to know this.
04:03And they also want the government to know that the rice that they produce in this market
04:11which is supposedly sold for RM2.60 per kilogram, is no longer available.
04:17Now, local white rice is sold for RM3.00, RM3.50, RM4.00 per kilogram.
04:25So, the rice farmers see that their rice is not sold for RM2.60.
04:30So, this is my question.
04:33The question, Dato' Stansri.
04:35In the list of the 73 conditions, the rice fields are an important component.
04:45Does the government see the concern and empathy towards the suffering that the rice fields are experiencing?
04:55The government is concerned about the importers.
04:59The importers, due to the decrease in the price of rice in the market,
05:05they allow the importers to import rice at a cost of RM3.000 per tonne.
05:10And now, it is reduced to RM2.800 per tonne.
05:15The rice producers, Dato' Stansri, their problems are okayed by the government.
05:22But the importers, they want the price of rice fields to be RM1.800 per tonne.
05:31Even if the price of rice is bought at RM1.800 per tonne from the importers,
05:37they are still B4T.
05:39They will not jump to T20, T15.
05:43Is the government concerned about the problems that the importers are facing?
05:49This is what I want to ask Dato' Stansri.
05:51Thank you, Dato' Stansri.
05:55I am grateful for the discussion.
06:00Because we are following the issue.
06:05It's not new.
06:06I remember around 1992-1993,
06:09there was a big protest around Al-Astaghf.
06:13I was there.
06:16And there was also a protest in Makaraw at that time.
06:20And there, we tried to raise the price of rice.
06:26But the problem of rice fields, especially in the north,
06:32including the north coast,
06:34such as Kepala Batas, Tasikulugor,
06:37as well as the Madar and Perlis areas,
06:39and Kelantan,
06:41is because the productivity is very low.
06:43So the people are poor.
06:46So that's why they raised the price.
06:49But as we know,
06:51as you know,
06:53there are no firm steps that have been taken before to raise the price.
07:00Including 2020, 2021, and 2022,
07:03there are no drastic steps.
07:08Only after the Madani government rose the price,
07:11only then did the special aid for the rice fields increase.
07:16It was increased to Rp228 million in 2023.
07:21And in 2024,
07:24it was increased to Rp600 a year for each rice field.
07:28It wasn't done before this.
07:31The special aid for rice fields,
07:33I discussed with the rice fields.
07:37Indeed, it was increased.
07:40But the rice field contract was renewed in 2021.
07:46For 10 years.
07:48So we want to raise the price.
07:50All I can ask is for a little help.
07:53That's why he gave Rp60 million in special aid for rice fields
07:56to the affected rice fields in the north.
07:59Then we added the rice planting scheme.
08:04The initial fund in 2024 was Rp50 million.
08:08We only increased the price of rice fields in 2024.
08:15It was increased.
08:18And of course it was high in Sabah Sarawak
08:20because the price of rice was too high in Sabah Sarawak.
08:23So for 2023-2024,
08:27we set a high price.
08:29For the first time, it was Rp420 million for Sabah Sarawak
08:32to cover the high price.
08:38Then the subsidy scheme for rice fields.
08:40It was increased.
08:43The rice fields were cleaned.
08:44Rp500 million per ton.
08:46Instead of Rp360 million.
08:50Then the budget and so on.
08:52Including Rp1 billion that we have approved
08:55and I will launch in 2025.
08:58I want to explain to the people.
09:00Today, what we have given is Rp1 billion.
09:05We haven't been able to cover the cost yet.
09:09Next week, the Minister of Agriculture
09:13will submit a letter to the Minister
09:17to clarify and announce the increase.
09:22But we have to remember
09:23the increase in the price of rice fields
09:25will cause an increase in the price of rice for consumers.
09:30So how do we balance this?
09:32The increase in the price of rice fields
09:35will cause an increase in the price of rice for consumers.
09:38We don't want to increase the price of rice for consumers.
09:40So far, I have discussed with the Ministry of Finance
09:45so that the government will cover the subsidy
09:49so that the price of rice for consumers
09:56will not be increased.
09:57The government will cover Rp150 million for 6 months.
10:02That will be covered in a short period of time.
10:05So I want to assure the people
10:07that even though I understand there are obstacles,
10:10we have received the memorandum
10:12and we have discussed with the Minister of Agriculture
10:19that we will handle this.
10:21But don't deny it.
10:23The increase that I mentioned earlier
10:25is for 2023-2024.
10:27The previous increase was for 2022,
10:302021, and 2020.
10:32That is what I want to raise.
10:34So while I agree with Mr. Berluran,
10:38don't deny it.
10:39This is a fact.
10:43You are making a lot of noise
10:46carrying people with buses,
10:48but when you are in power, you don't increase it.
10:50We increase it.
10:54I would like to invite Mr. Sungai Petani.
10:57Thank you, Mr. President.
10:58Mr. Sungai Petani, stick to the main question.
11:02Thank you, Mr. President.
11:03Ladies and gentlemen,
11:04if we look at the decline in rice production,
11:08it has decreased by 4.7%.
11:11And if we look at the development of AI technology,
11:15how can the use of, for example, smart SBB
11:18and the use of high-power rice husks
11:21increase rice production
11:23and we don't depend on imported rice?
11:26And recently, if we look at Kedah,
11:29one of the countries with the highest rice production,
11:32and recently,
11:34there was a leader of Kedah
11:36who said that there was a deviation
11:39in clothing, rice, etc.
11:43And I want to ask,
11:44is this rice production caused by productivity
11:49or is there a deviation?
11:50I would like justifications and clarifications
11:53from Mr. Tambon.
11:56I don't want to deny that there is a deviation.
11:58Let the authorities investigate.
12:01I have also studied Mr. Tambon's statement.
12:04And if there is evidence,
12:06we can take action.
12:08But what is true is that
12:10the productivity of rice production
12:14in Kedah, Perlis, Kelantan, and Tengganu
12:18is very low compared to Sekinchan.
12:21So what is done is
12:23to face several plans
12:26that were implemented in Sekinchan
12:30to be applied,
12:31including rice husks
12:33and management that may use
12:35part of it through digital AI
12:38and drones,
12:39as was done by Saim Dhabi
12:41for the palm oil industry.
12:44I would like to thank the students of Kedah
12:47for cooperating
12:49in managing the land
12:51appropriately
12:53to speed up.
12:54And this has been accelerated.
12:55That is why the launch
12:57that was supposed to be done
12:58at the end or mid-year
13:00will be done this month
13:03by the Ministry
13:05with the aim of increasing productivity.
13:07The issue is productivity
13:09because the difference is too big
13:11between what is done in Selangor
13:13and in Kedah
13:14and we have to increase it.
13:15And I have suggested
13:17that because the government is worried
13:19about the land area,
13:22we do not mean to increase the area.
13:25In fact, the area can be reduced
13:27if the productivity is increased.
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