The Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority (FAMA) is ready to assist in marketing local rice in areas facing shortages, said director-general Abdul Rashid Bahri.

According to him, the sales can be conducted at over 1,400 agency-operated centres nationwide, including farmers' markets and at Agro MADANI Sales, among others.

"The government has requested FAMA's assistance in selling local rice at FAMA outlets and operating centres. We are ready to help market it to ensure a rice supply in the market, especially in areas facing shortages. We are not selling rice in supermarkets.

"FAMA is now awaiting further instructions from the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (KPKM), which is expected to hold discussions with Padiberas Nasional Berhad (BERNAS) and rice producers tomorrow," he told reporters after officiating the Agrobazar Online (ABO) 3.0 portal here today.

The media reported that local white rice (BPT) supply nationwide should improve within a month thanks to ongoing government interventions.

KPKM Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu said the Special BPT Programme intervention measures would boost the national market's rice production quota by over 20 per cent.

On Sept 2, rice producers and national rice wholesalers were requested to boost BPT supplies by 20 per cent through the Special BPT Programme to address supply shortages in the market.

Commenting further, Abdul Rashid said FAMA had experience in assisting the government in addressing egg shortages last year by providing market space and selling eggs in the affected areas.

"We (FAMA) have been asked to assist the government (in marketing rice) based on FAMA's previous experience, where we distributed eggs during an egg shortage in the market last year.

"At that time, for example, there was an egg shortage on the East Coast because most of the production was in the West Coast. FAMA will extend its support to the government in resolving rice supply-related issues with the same commitment," he added.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency