Agriculture and food security minister Mohamad Sabu said the government will ensure that the price of locally produced white rice continues to be subsidised at a time when the prices of imported rice have gone up by 5%.

“I guarantee that the price hike is only for imported, high quality rice, but locally produced rice remains at RM2.60 a kilo,” he said in the Dewan Rakyat today.

He was responding to a question from Vivian Wong (PH-Sandakan) on the measures the government is taking to improve the country’s standing in the Global Food Security Index (GFSI).

Malaysia ranked 41st out of 113 countries in the GFSI, which evaluates a country’s affordability, availability, quality and safety as well as sustainability of food items and food security.

The price of rice worldwide has seen an increase, especially in the major producing countries in Southeast Asia such as Thailand and Vietnam.

Last month, it was reported that the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization’s world price index rose in April for the first time in a year.

The FAO price index, which tracks the most globally traded food commodities, averaged 127.2 points in April against 126.5 for March.

The Rome-based agency said the April rise reflected higher prices for sugar, meat and rice, which offset declines in the cereals, dairy and vegetable oil price indices. It said the increase in rice prices was “extremely worrisome”.