Deputy minister backs move to address rising fertiliser, pesticide

KUCHING: The setting up of a joint committee to study and address the soaring prices of fertiliser and pesticide prices is a quick strategy and proactive action taken by the federal government, said Deputy Minister of Plantation Industries and Commodities Datuk Willie Mongin.

He said the rise in the cost of agricultural inputs without any transparent monitoring by the authorities would be a major obstacle that could burden farmers, gardeners, ranchers and small agricultural entrepreneurs in continuing to survive and actively cultivate the land in the long run.

“No one wants to bear the loss and feel pressured due to the crisis of rising agricultural input costs.

“We also do not want the contribution of the agriculture and plantation sector, which is an important heritage occupation and backbone of the country's economy since before independence, to sink and vanish abruptly due to the insistence of high start-up cost imbalance compared to crop and farm yields,” he said in a statement issued on Saturday.

As such, Willie expressed support for the committee's efforts in introducing initiatives and mechanisms that he deemed ‘a quick win' with added value to help farmers, gardeners and small local agricultural entrepreneurs collectively and comprehensively in the short term as well as in the long run.

He also urged farmers, and especially the youths, to continue pursuing knowledge and skills and apply the latest techniques in order to increase their competitiveness, productivity and capacity of quality crops and farms.

“I am confident that the agriculture and plantation sector will continue to be relevant and grow positively based on the needs and demands of the country at this time as a major supplier of food and raw materials.

“Therefore, I personally take this crisis seriously. We can't afford to wait and see. Innovations that integrate technology are the saviour and a step forward to reshaping this agricultural input supply chain price scenario,” he said.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industries (Mafi) and the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs (KPDNHEP), in a joint statement on Saturday, said a joint committee had been set up to address the issue of rising fertiliser and pesticide prices.

Agriculture and Food Industries Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ronald Kiandee and Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Dato Sri Alexander Nanta Linggi said the committee was studying proposed actions and solutions as well as other measures to help farmers and small entrepreneurs who were facing the issue of a sudden increase in fertiliser and pesticide prices.

The ministers said they viewed seriously the issue of rising fertiliser and pesticide prices, which had cropped up since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

We also do not want the contribution of the agriculture and plantation sector, which is an important heritage occupation and backbone of the country’s economy since before independence, to sink and vanish abruptly due to the insistence of high start-up cost imbalance compared to crop and farm yields.

Datuk Willie Mongin