ADD this with the story from the 2022 Auditor General's report that READ : a paddy planting scheme has chalked up losses of RM660 million, makes one wonder, how on earth did BERNAS manage to give READ : Syed Mokthar RM670.2 million in dividend alone in 2020.
NO doubt these are not problems created by Anwar Ibrahim nor his cabinet, but these are some of the set of problems the Prime Minister will have to come up with anwsers for in the coming year.
THE coming year, where paddy or rice as it is commonly reffered to is concerned, looks set to be yet another year of explosive price increase.
WHILE Bernas,has in place some locked in paddy purchase from the likes of Vietnam and Pakistan which comes with a fixed purchase price, the problem for Malaysia and Bernas is that, all the purchases above what has been agreed are to be transacted at market rates in the US Dollar. READ : World Bank ; Rice Price will remain strong until 2025.
ASIDE from politics and massive corruption, rice prices will remain strong because of READ : unpredictable weather patterns due to global warming.
MALAYSIA, can of course use the popular option which Indonesia, that is facing a presidential election next year, is using to show the population, it is indeed doing something by READ :calling in the army to lend a helping hand to paddy farmers.
OR we can start doing the intelligent thing by working with the likes of Taiwan to produce high quality,paddy seeds which can deliver the output that Malaysia badly needs.