By Zareef Muzammil
SHAH ALAM, May 19 — The Ehsan Food Prices Intervention Programme has benefitted 60,000 families in over 50 locations throughout Selangor since it was first introduced in December last year.
Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari said the initiative through the Jualan Prihatin Rakyat provides the people, especially those in the rural areas, access to the supply of fresh goods.
He said the sale of chicken, eggs, meat, fish and vegetables at reasonable prices had helped consumers save between 20 to 25 per cent compared to the market price.
“The state government, under the Selangor Agricultural Development Corporation (PKPS), had launched the initiative to ensure the people could get adequate access to fresh goods.
“The move was initiated to avoid prolonged burden among the people temporarily. However, we need a solution to address the food supply issues and how to reduce our dependencies on imported food items,” said Amirudin in his speech during the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing ceremony between Selangor and Negeri Sembilan on a corn planting project, at Wisma PKPS, here yesterday.
Also present during the event were Negeri Sembilan Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun, state executive councillor for agricultural modernisation and agro-based industry Izham Hashim and PKPS chief executive officer Mohamad Khairul Mohamad Razi.
Meanwhile, Amirudin said the corn planting project in Gemas, Negeri Sembilan, and Kuala Langat Selatan, Selangor, is a continuation of the food prices intervention programme following discussions held with Izham and PKPS.
“The method is to stabilise chicken feed price by cultivating corn, which is one of the country’s primary sources of feed for poultry and ruminants.
“Therefore, we cannot just focus on intervention efforts that have been carried out,” he added.
