Image credit: Malay Mail
SERDANG: Agrofood producers have been urged to embrace technology and sell their products online in a bid to fight price manipulation by third parties.
Agriculture and Food Industries Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ronald Kiandee said the government, the ministry and the relevant agencies had been working to reduce the reliance on middle persons.
Such as effort, he said, could only be strengthened with food producers turning to social media to market their products that would also offer them wider business opportunities.
"The ministry has taken action to lessen he influences of middle persons in the agrofood sector. They exist in all sectors and sub-sectors. Some do good while others pose (an unpleasant) impact to the producers. This is why the ministry has been relentless to combat this problem.
"We want the Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority (Fama) to not only function as an agricultural produce collection centre and pasar tani organisers, but also encourage those in the industry, especially the young ones, to sell their produce online."
Ronald said this after witnessing a cooperative note signing ceremony between the ministry and the National Unity Ministry at the Malaysia Agriculture, Horticulture and Agrotourism Exhibition here today.
He was responding to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob's call for the ministry to continue the jihad (war) he started in 2014 against middle persons for exploiting farmers and fishermen as well as food prices manipulation.
Ismail Sabri issued the warning that the government was continuing its all-out war against those responsible for the increase in the prices of essential goods.
He said the Malaysia Competition Commission had on Friday issued proposed verdicts against five chicken feed millers suspect of involvement in raising the price of poultry feed.
Such action, he said, should serve as a warning against cartels trying to manipulate prices and the market.
Ronald also said the ministry was drafting the Plant Seed Quality Bill, which would be tabled to the Parliament.
The ministry's current seed certification scheme was used to draw up the bill, he said.
"The scheme, which began in 2012 to ensure pure, quality and disease-free crops, is a short-term measure to overcome and raise awareness on the importance of using quality and pure crops.
"A long-term regulatory control measure by the Agriculture Department is through this bill.
"The implementation of these strategies indirectly shows the importance of quality and pure crops in the nation's agriculture sector and they benefit the people," he said.
Source: https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2022/08/820232/sell-products-online-fight-price-manipulation-agrofood-producers-urged