Agriculture minister dismisses shortage fears, says food supply stable nationwide despite festivities

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 16 — The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (KPKM) assures that the supply of the country's basic food will remain controlled and sufficient despite the expected surge in demand during the Chinese New Year (CNY) celebrations and the upcoming Ramadan.

Its minister, Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu, said there have been no early reports of serious supply disruptions so far because thorough preparations have been made, in addition to continuously monitoring the stock chain from the production stage to distribution to ensure the continuity of basic goods in the market.

He said his ministry is also focusing on empowering domestic production, coordinating logistics, and implementing direct-to-consumer sales programmes to ensure access to food supplies without concerns about shortages of essential goods in the market.

“The government, through the KPKM, assures that basic food supplies such as chicken, eggs, meat, fish, vegetables and fruits will be sufficient and stable nationwide to meet the needs during the Chinese New Year celebration and Ramadan period.

“Current data monitoring shows that domestic production sources are stable and capable of accommodating seasonal demand increases. The government is committed to ensuring that the supply of basic food in the country is always sufficient and stable,” he told Bernama here today.

Mohamad Sabu said this when asked to elaborate on the possibility of supply shortages during the Chinese New Year festive season and preparations for welcoming Ramadan following viral posts on social media about the closure of Chinese traders' premises during the celebration.

In an effort to strengthen supply access, he said KPKM, through the Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority (FAMA), is actively implementing the Agro Madani Sales (JAM) programme nationwide as a proactive measure to ensure sufficient supply access throughout the festive season.

“Until February 8, a total of 478 JAM programmes have been implemented, with prices 10 per cent to 30 per cent lower than the market price. — Bernama