BELURAN, March 20 — The government has taken various intervention measures to ensure the Russia-Ukraine conflict does not affect food production and to control food prices in the country.

Minister of Agriculture and Food Industries (Mafi), Datuk Seri Ronald Kiandee said these included providing subsidies for several food items such as chicken and eggs in the face of any unforeseen circumstances due to the conflict between the two countries.

“We (the government) understand that the rise in costs has become out of control, causing the cost of food production in our country to be also affected, thus the increase.

“The government is taking various measures and short-term and long-term interventions to ensure that the production is not affected and to control the price increases faced by our consumers due to the rising input costs from outside,” he told reporters after officiating at the opening of the concrete bridge at Kampung Keniogan, near here, today.

He said the project which started last May 4 last year and was completed by March 13, was implemented by the Malaysian Fisheries Development Authority (LKIM) at a cost of almost RM1 million.

Ronald, who is also Beluran Member of Parliament, said LKIM had also repaired jetties at three locations in Beluran, namely, Kampung Muanad 2, Kampung Seri Menanti and Kampung Keramat, while 18 other jetties and bridges around the fishing village in Beluran were in the process to be repaired, upgraded or rebuilt which would provide better fish landing facilities.

The minister also inspected the fishermen’s houses that were repaired under the Fishermen’s Special Housing Project (PKPN) in Kampung Keniogan, which are part of the 200 fishermen’s houses that have been and are being repaired by LKIM in Beluran with an allocation of RM3 million.

He said the government through LKIM had allocated more than RM150 million this year to provide assistance and incentives to the fishing community nationwide.

“These include the fishermen’s cost-of-living allowance (ESHN), diesel and petrol subsidies, fishermen’s fund, fishermen’s disaster and welfare fund, cash crop projects, fishermen’s group economic projects assistance and the fishermen’s food basket programme. — Bernama