Kota Kinabalu: Sabah Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Industry, Datuk Jamawi Jaafar, assured that rice supply in the state remains sufficient and urged the public not to resort to panic buying following reports of shortages in several interior districts.
He said current state rice reserves are able to meet public demand for up to six months.
“When combined with commercial stock, wholesalers’ supply and local rice production, the total supply in Sabah can last up to nine months,” he said, Wednesday.
Jamawi stressed that the State Government is continuously monitoring the supply of essential food items and advised the public to remain calm.
He added that instructions have been issued to expedite the delivery of affordable imported white rice (BPI) in large quantities to Keningau, Sook, Tenom, Kemabong and Sipitang.
Earlier, General Manager of the Sabah Paddy and Rice Board, Datuk Dr Ramle Kasin, together with Bernas Sabah officers, conducted inspections at the Kolombong Storage Centre and found that rice supply remained stable and sufficient.
A survey conducted on Wednesday also found that supplies have begun reaching shops in Tenom, Kemabong, Sook and Keningau.
In Tenom alone, a total of 53 tonnes have entered the retail market through Bernas distributors, namely PPK Tenom (30 tonnes) and Sazarice (23 tonnes).
Overall, based on the current movement of rice stocks into Tenom, supply is deemed sufficient, supported by cooperation from wholesalers who have delivered stocks to several retail outlets in the district.
Observations also showed that panic buying has subsided and the situation is now calm.
The monthly requirement stands at 470 metric tonnes (MT), with an average daily demand estimated at 16MT. About 15 per cent (70MT) of the monthly requirement has been and is being delivered today, exceeding the daily demand of 16 tonnes.
