PUTRAJAYA, March 28 — The Padi and Rice Regulatory Authority (KPB) clarified today that the authority to freeze permits for interstate paddy movement lies under the Control of Padi and Rice Act 1994 (Act 522), through the functions of the KPB director-general.

As such, KPB said the statement made by the Terengganu government regarding the directive to freeze permits for paddy transfer is deemed inaccurate and misleading.

According to KPB, effective June 20, 2023, the Agriculture and Food Security Ministry (KPKM) has suspended all applications for permits to transfer paddy to other states.

"The move is an intervention by KPKM to address local rice supply issues, taking into account the welfare of farmers,” KPB said in a statement.

It added that the directive to freeze applications for paddy movement remains in effect to date.

However, in the event of a surplus in the state and a necessity to sell paddy across state borders, applications can be submitted to the state KPB office for consideration and approval by the KPB director-general.

On March 26, Terengganu Agriculture, Agro-based Industry, Food Security and Commodities Committee chairman Azman Ibrahim was reported as saying that the state government had frozen permits for transferring paddy out of the state.

He said the directive is among the control mechanisms to prevent locally-produced rice from being sold to other states. — Bernama