Pertubuhan Pesawah Persaudaraan Malaysia (PeSAWAH), in addressing the issue of supply and price of paddy seeds, says its members are facing a situation that is deliberately planted to create an atmosphere of panic due to seed insufficiency.
The members of the association say the price of paddy is subsidised at RM28 but they are forced to buy it at a higher price from factories.
This resulted in agents including Pertubuhan Peladang Kawasan not being able to sell seeds at a reasonable price, while the secretary of the Paddy and Rice Industry Division and the Minister of Agriculture himself had set the selling price of seeds to RM 35.
An investigation by members of PeSAWAH discovered that the price problem began when a bag of seeds was sold at an exorbitant price.
Secretary of PeSAWAH and Secretary-General of IDRIS Association Nurfitri Amir says, “The standard price for paddy seed sold to wholesalers, associations, and agents at the factory level is RM28.
“This is the price set by the government after the factory has been subsidised for a portion of the cost. But, before 2020, end-users (farmers) will pay between RM33 and RM60 for it, and the farmers are unhappy about it.
“In 2020, the minister announced the retail price is set to RM35. But this year, the factories by themselves rise the price at factory level to RM33. So the end-users now need to buy the seed higher than the announced price of RM35.
“Even after complaints from the farmers, wholesalers, and agents, there is still no response from the government”.
On October 18, the Agriculture Department has announced it has approved 52,922.5 metric tons since last season and this season confirmation is still being made for part of the quota of 36,000 metric tons.
