In Kapit, for instance, the price may be as high as RM19 for a 10kg bag, RM1 more than the ceiling price

KUCHING: The price of rice in the rural areas will continue to be more expensive compared to that in urban areas despite the government’s introduction of ceiling price for certain grades of rice.

FEDERAL SUPPORT: Kamaluddin speaking to reporters as Jabu (left) looks on.

Beras Corporation Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of Bernas Group, said on Sunday that the price of Super 15 Rice (15 per cent broken grains) could cost an extra RM1 per 10kg in the rural areas.

“The further the place the more expensive it will be. In Kapit, for instance, the price may be as high as RM19 for a 10kg bag, which is RM1 more than the ceiling price, due mainly to logistic,” said its chief operating officer Mohd Kamaluddin Mohd Effendie, when met at the Gawai open house of Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Alfred Jabu here on Sunday.

When asked for an estimated price range in Sarawak, he declined to comment though he did say that the price in major towns and cities like Kuching, Miri, Sibu and Bintulu would be controlled.

The government on Saturday announced that coloured stickers would be placed on different grades of rice in Sarawak and Sabah.

The announcement also saw the introduction of ceiling price for three grades of rice in East Malaysia for the first time.

The rice is supplied by Bernas and the first shipment of 3,000 tonnes arrived over the weekend, with at least another 7,000 tonnes to arrive soon.

It is understood that Bernas has agreed to supply 80,000 tonnes annually.

The price-controlled commodity should be hitting most markets soon.

“It’s already in the (urban area) markets. It will take slightly longer in the rural areas, maybe within these two or three days. It will take about a week for the supply to stabilise.”

Super 15 rice, which carries dark blue sticker, is priced RM1.80 per kg; rice with 10 per cent broken grains (yellow sticker) is priced RM2.70 per kg; and those with five per cent broken grains (purple sticker) is priced RM2.80 per kg.

In future, the stickers would be replaced with coloured packagings to enable even easier identification, Kamaludin said.

“We want to ensure that even illiterate people in rural areas are not confused by the new price list since the ceiling price for rice has never been implemented in Sarawak,” said Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Datuk Rohani Abdul Karim.

“The government is just trying to provide an alternative for the very poor segment of the people in Sarawak,” she said when asked if the controlled grades (of rice) would affect other segment of society.

“Of course, people can still eat whatever rice they want. There is no control on other types of rice. Consumers still have choices,” she added.

When asked for his opinion, Jabu meanwhile said things would not go as smoothly as it should in the early stages of the implementation.

“But I am confident everything will work out well because the state government is always in discussion with its federal counterpart, which is always sympathetic with us.”

Assistant Minister of Agriculture (Home Economics and Training) Datin Fatimah Abdullah meanwhile suggested that more controlled items should be expanded to East Malaysia.

“There are many controlled items around, but we still buy at a higher price than Peninsular Malaysia. When you say something is a controlled item the price should definitely be the same nationwide,” she said.