This is the second price adjustment for imported white rice within a span of six months, after it was reduced from RM3,000 to RM2,800 per metric tonne last Dec 1.

Agriculture and food security minister Mohamad Sabu said this was a proactive measure to ensure the nation’s food security and help alleviate cost of living pressures experienced by the people.

He said this followed engagements with Bernas and took into consideration developments in the global market as well as the need to ensure the sustainability of the local food supply chain.

In a statement, Mohamad also said Putrajaya’s subsidies for imported white rice for Sabah and Sarawak would continue as usual.

“This success is the result of Bernas’s strategic approach in diversifying its source of imported rice to various countries, like Vietnam, Thailand and Myanmar, thereby preventing dependence on a single market,” he said.