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Friday, March 27, 2020

Vege-fruits dumped: Where is Malaysian Cabinet appointed Food-Czar?


Malaysiakini:

Fruits dumped as well, estimated 10k tonnes in Klang Valley alone



Fruit producers and wholesalers are forced to dump their produce due to supply chain disruptions under the movement control order (MCO).

Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Fruit Farmers' Association chairperson Jeffrey Choong estimated that 10,000 tonnes of fruits have been discarded in the Klang Valley alone since the MCO period.

He also estimated that only 50 percent of produce reaches consumers although food supply is categorised as an essential service by the National Security Council.

The problem, said Choong, stemmed from the initial confusion about the MCO rules regarding transport vehicles and that the number of places where fruits can be sold have reduced.


 Where is Malaysian Cabinet appointed Food-Czar? 

Unable to transport their produce to consumers, he said producers have no choice but to dispose their fruits.

"We are forced to do so because we can't keep the fruits for a long time," he added.

There is demand but not enough markets

Choong explained that most fruits can last a week, while some up to three weeks, if refrigerated.

However, because fruit sellers tend to have limited storage space, some of it would have to be disposed.

Additionally, the fruit industry also depends on other supporting industries which are facing similar disruptions because of the MCO. These include the supply of pesticides, fertilisers, processing factories and even workshops to repair vehicles.

"We know consumers want to buy fruits but the supply can't reach the markets... We are making losses and still have to work because we don't want people to be deprived of fruits," he added.

He believed that the same problem is being faced by fruit producers in other states as well.





Sellers moving online

To remedy the problem, Choong said his association has written to the Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Malaysia and Federal Agriculture Marketing Authority (Fama) with proposals. However, they have yet to receive a response.



FAMA? 

"We are prepared to find solutions together. If we can't meet face-to-face, let's do it online. This is a serious issue," he added.

Wholesaler, Erik Ong, who is collaborating with the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Fruit Farmers' Association, said some fruit sellers resorted to selling online during the MCO period with limited success.

Ong said he and his friends are currently working on an "e-petani" online platform to help vegetable and fruit farmers in the Klang Valley promote their produce.

Twenty farmers have been roped in so far and their produce would be delivered via e-hailing services such as Grab.

"Farmers will earn lower than usual but our goal is to market the goods and prevent wastage.

"If this model succeeds, we will supply fruits and vegetables to frontliners (in the war against Covid-19) for free," he added.





Previously, Malaysiakini reported that vegetable producers and fishermen faced a similar predicament due to supply chain disruptions.

Putrajaya has tasked International Trade and Industries Minister Azmin Ali to resolve the problem whereas Defence Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob promised that trucks ferrying foodstuff would not encounter problems at roadblocks.


Where is Malaysian Cabinet appointed Food-Czar? 

21 comments:

  1. All Malaysians were expecting the EAC to throw the kitchen sink, refrigerator and toilet bowl at the impending economic and financial crisis.

    Well and good, 250 billion, but Muhyiddin did not announce TWO things:

    1. convene parliament immediately to legitimize this "Hail Mary" package. All Malaysians will have to pay for it in the coming decades. In GE14 we elected 222 MPs, but now only a few (mostly elected into opposition but now in "government") are making all the decisions. Furthermore, as per the new "government" definition of national debt, as at end 2019 we are already touching 55% of GDP. Any rescue package will take us over this limit, beyond which PARLIAMENT NEEDS TO APPROVE. In the US, both Houses (Senate and Congress) worked through weekends to approve their 2 trillion package, but here we postpone parliament and MPs and Senators sit at home, using MCO as excuse

    2. immediately re-introduce GST, set at 20% to pay for this rescue package, especially in view of the oil price crash. Ignore all the protests from the opposition. Don't wait till Budget 2021, the PH government took only a few months to abolish GST, the PN "government" must re-introduce it just as fast. We all know GST is good, not only for the good times but also the bad, especially when the government is going bankrupt. Europe is now the epicentre of COV19, but there is no talk of abolishing their 20% GST/VAT there, so it must be good. We must follow. GST is fair, it taxes everyone, rich and poor, even the unemployed. Don't set at 4% because this is too low, only revenue neutral, same as SST introduced by the PH government. What's the point?
    Go On, Just Do It.

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  2. y cant the backdoor minister apply similar effective backdoor approach?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Rhan.. I think you're suffering from a backdoor-punch syndrome. Please get yourself examine, eh.

      Delete
    2. my brother, i dun indulge in self denial, i am still learning how to overcome it, join me?

      Delete
    3. Eh, c'mon, please jangan gadoh la...kan berdangdut kan lebih bagui ? Well, with MCO and all, I know it's kind of difficult but "Rhan" and "my brother" ( memang touching la such endearment, wakakaka ) can always reminisce and not let such trifling issues of politics to ruin such warm muhibah, hehehe.

      Delete
    4. Wakakakaka…

      These mfers r too clever by half to mingle amongst themselves during this Covid happy hour!

      But they can still cheer themselves off with their favour Jack Daniel via Skype.

      Delete
    5. main principle of brotherhood is reciprocity wakaka.

      Delete
    6. jackdanial less ice is fine, take along with siewyok, but i dun do bat, got virus, wuhan virus.

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    7. Thus the teleconferencing yamseng lah!

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    8. Nipah virus is also a kind of coronavirus - much deadlier!

      It comes from bat too & used to infect pigs? Remember?

      Do check that siewyok before u partake! & remind yr dangdut pal about his haram hypocrisy too.

      Delete
  3. Ayam surprised no entrepreneur has to date started a pickle factory in Cameron Highlands. Malaysians love kimchi and other types of pickles. When vege prices are low or when there are no lorries to transport then go "downstream" and pickle. Value added too.

    If only our former entrepreneur development minister aka Flying Car Minister was a Menteri Jeruk then all these veges would not have gone to waste.

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  4. All our ministers have sex brained virus,same as Donald Trump.These stupid dumb bells are useless as the sewage cesspool creatures.Here hundreds of tons of food have gone wasted.In the US,hundreds and now surpassing a thousand lives have been lost because this rapist president cannot think straight.He thinks the same way as the dude in the video.

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  5. ... dud in the video ...

    wakakakaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

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  6. It might be "legal", might be not against the constitution, it is still backdoor as clear as day light. Those losers were rejected by the rakyat in the GE14 now bypassing the rakyat simply by some immoral re-grouping with some despicable traitors now become government. That goes without saying this is not what the rakyat want. So don't pretend everything is fine. It is called immorally legal and might not be against the constitution but truly is hypocrite especially if they thanked the One for the success of the coup

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Peter, the Westminster parliamentary system (as in Malaysia and elsewhere) allows elections of ONLY candidates in individual constituencies - most candidates would and could brand themselves as PH or BN or PAS or even Independent, etc. Voters do not elect parties but candidates.

      In the current PN government, the PPBM candidates (Muhyiddin, Redzuan, Rina Harun etc) including former PKR people like Azmin, Zuraida, Saifuddin etc were elected by, presumably PH supporters or even old UMNO supporters. 53% of voters did NOT elect PH candidates, thus UMNO, PAS and non-PH candidates have been legally elected by 52% of voters.

      The Agong merely appointed the candidate who could command the confidence (backing) of the majority of the elected 222 candidates as PM. The previous Agong did the same for Wan Azizah though she declined in favour of Mahathir - neither Agong appointed any party as the ruling party, but only the man who has majority support. The then-appointed PM forms his own cabinet.

      Just a hypothetical question - what if Mahathir had succeeded in his intended government of no party, including even un-elected technocrats or old cronies like (say) Daim and Yusof Yassin? but minus no doubt Wan Azizah and many DAP MPs - would that have been legal?

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    2. then y u label those that change party as frog? can i apply yr logic n tell they r not frog?

      the moment mahathir resign, umno n pas is actually the right one when they claim a snap election shd be held, all the following number game from various parties is without peoples mandate regardless ph or pn or mahathir unity govt. i think u r confuse with what is legally right versus democracy spirit. if u allow this to happen under yr stupid assertion of westminster sys, then the same thing will happen again n again render the 5 years election as meaningless. the problem is nobody especially the old idiot hv any respect toward democracy, u r now toking kok like that old idiot.

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    3. HY, are you addressing me? wakakaka

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    4. KT telling a half-lie. He said...

      QUOTE
      Voters do not elect parties but candidates.
      UNQUOTE

      Both the name of the candidate and the party they represent appears on the ballot paper.

      In fact, all the Bersatu candidates, frogs included, contested under the logo with the black eye of the person they betrayed on it.

      Example voters in Titiwangsa seat had no idea who Rina Harun was (and many today still don't), but they ticked the black eye logo.
      So if it wasn't for the party she represented, PKR, would she have won?

      Yet today she is a Minister and PKR is in opposition.

      Delete
    5. Orang yang sudah berdiri on De Dak side mana faham apa tu immorally legal. Judge a person by the company he keeps, the means he earns his keep, the twisty terbalik one-moment-white, one-moment-hitam manipulative argument according to the change in the wind...hehehe, flexible and slippery worthy of a snake.

      Note : let's hope this hypocrite yang termakan the chilli pedas won't give out another repartee " are you referring to me, wakakaka ". Ha Ha Ha Ha.

      Delete
    6. QUOTE
      Just a hypothetical question - what if Mahathir had succeeded in his intended government of no party, including even un-elected technocrats or old cronies like (say) Daim and Yusof Yassin? but minus no doubt Wan Azizah and many DAP MPs - would that have been legal?
      UNQUOTE

      Answer: It would be technically legal if Toonsie still had majority support in Parliament (ie at least 112 MPs) to do that, but it would still be a backdoor government (like the current PN) but of another form.

      I would call it a backdoor dictatorship.

      Delete
    7. i am talking to a very confused man, whoever it might be wakaka.

      Delete