Azlan wants immediate solution to padi oversupply issue in Perlis

KANGAR: The Perlis government today called on the federal government to immediately formulate a special mechanism to overcome the issue of excessive supply of padi and rice which occurs every harvesting season in the state.
Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Azlan Man also proposed for a padi stockpile be created as not all padi needed to be processed immediately after harvest.
He said this in response to a media report which stated that private manufacturers appointed by PadiBeras Nasional Berhad (Bernas) had been unable to purchase padi from farmers as their factories were flooded with rice-filled sacks uncollected by Bernas.
Azlan said he was also informed that some of the sacks were left uncollected for more than two years.
"So, it is just apt for the government to formulate a special mechanism to overcome the problem so that it will not recur," he said.
The menteri besar also said that the would call on the State Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Committee chairman Ahmad Bakri Ali to take the proposal to the attention of federal government for consideration.
Earlier, Azlan presented the 1Malaysia People's Aid (BR1M) 2015 to 2,552 cash recipients of the aid, involving an allocation of RM339,000, at Dewan 2020 here today.
Each of them received between RM200 and RM350 according to category. – Bernama