SERDANG, Sept 7 — From tomorrow, each person in Malaysia will be able to buy 10 sacks of 10kg rice a year, which amounts to 100kg, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security said today.

Its Agricultural Industry Development Division secretary Datuk Azman Mahmood today said the move was taken to address the shortage of local white rice in the market.

"During our Ops Jamin, we found out there was a shortage of white rice and there are traders who buy 600kg to 700kg at one time.

"That’s why we made a restriction today that each person can only buy 10 bags of rice which is 100kg,” he told reporters after a dialogue session with rice farmers and distributors here in preparation for Budget 2024.

He added that the first phase of the Local White Rice Special Programme starts tomorrow and the second phase will start on September 15.

The ministry’s Local White Rice Special Programme aims to increase the rice production quota in the market nationwide by more than 20 per cent.

"If we launch 20 per cent and we boost 20 per cent in the market, which means we have 27 million bags of rice in a year. Hence, we can ease the worries of all users,” Azman said.

Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu, who also attended the dialogue session today, gave an assurance that the country’s stock of local white is sufficient at the moment.

"The price of local rice is still under control and the supply is still sufficient.

"The price of local white rice remains at RM26 for 10kg or RM2.60 per kg,” he told reporters.

Mohamad was also asked about allegations of profiteering among some suppliers by relabelling the origins of their white rice to imported stock although it was produced locally.

He replied that the manipulation claims were just the ministry’s suspicions and that no one had filed an official complaint so far.

"No official complaint was made, the action was believed to be carried out by a few irresponsible parties in order to gain easy profit,” he said.

Mohamad also told reporters that the rice industry players who attended the dialogue session had asked about subsidies and ways to improve the irrigation system for sustainable farming amid climate changes.