FIRST and foremost the Prime Minister must realise that his proposal as Finance Minister for READ: Bernas to share 30 per cent of its profits to rice farmers is only good as a stop gap measure while his proposal as opposition leader READ: for paddy farmer associations to instead take over the role of Bernas is a down right bad idea.
WHY is it a bad idea? Well what gaurantees do you have that the fat farmers here won't end up sitting on their fat backsides like Bernas to ensure that we are always 30 per cent short of being rice sufficient?
SO how do we over come this issue and at the same time ensure the farmer is not given a raw deal and the country as a whole gain by being rice self sufficient?
SIMPLE, actually, liberalise the rice market and as part of the liberalisation deal ensure that 10 per cent of the importers profits are then placed into a special fund for paddy farmers READ : akin to Norway's Petroleum fund .
USE the money from this Paddy Fund to set milestones for the paddy farmers to meet out put targets, such as 85 per cent rice self sufficiency by 2025.
IF they meet the target, then empty Paddy Fund and give the 150,000 paddy farmers their due. And then set a new target for them and since it is a revolving fund, the government won't have issues paying the farmers if they achieve their fresh targets.
SECOND understand that rice has always been used in this part of the world as a weapon. READ: In world war two, Japan destroyed China's rice fields before decimating the Chinese people.
ONCE, you understand that and look at how rich Bersatu had become READ : After Syed Mokthar Al Bukhary purely out of the goodness of his heart gave Bersatu a RM195 million donations 76 days after Muhyiddin Yassin extended Bernas concession for another 10 years, do the needful.
TAKEOVER the role of Bernas and NAFAS immediately. In short do unto Bernas what has been done to READ: Iris Corp Bhd and READ : Pestech Bhd
