Johor bahru: The price of food items and agricultural produce in the country have remained stable so far, despite the increase in diesel prices, Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority (FAMA) director-general Abdul Rashid Bahri said.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the current situation shows no significant disruption to the food supply chain, following government measures to provide sufficient diesel subsidies to farmers and distributors to cover operational costs. Abdul Rashid emphasized that the diesel price increase has not had a significant impact, with prices remaining stable and supply being sufficient. This assurance was provided during the Johor edition of the MADANI Agro Sale programme at FAMA headquarters.
Abdul Rashid further stated that FAMA, together with the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry (KPDN), continuously monitors the stability of supply and prices. As of last week, the food supply remains stable with no significant impact observed. He also advised the public against panic buying, dismissing viral claims regarding rice shortages in Sabah and confirming that food supplies are adequate.
On the topic of global cost pressures affecting food prices, Abdul Rashid highlighted that programs such as the MADANI Agro Sale help maintain prices 10 to 30 percent lower than the market by enabling direct sales from producers to consumers without intermediaries. The contract farming programme also plays a crucial role in stabilising agricultural prices while ensuring farmers receive fair returns by setting a floor price.
FAMA has received new allocations from the Finance Ministry and the Agriculture and Food Security Ministry to continue implementing the MADANI Agro Sale programme this year, from April to December. Overall, the programme targets 5,000 MADANI Agro Sale events nationwide, with FAMA itself organising 3,500 of them.
The Johor edition of the MADANI Agro Sale programme, themed 'Kerja Kahwin Johor', involved 30 entrepreneurs offering products such as chicken, meat, seafood, vegetables, and fruits. The event is expected to attract 2,000 visitors, generate RM100,000 in sales, and deliver savings of about RM30,000, while participating entrepreneurs are projected to earn an additional RM3,000 to RM5,000 each.
Since its introduction in January last year, the MADANI Agro Sale programme has recorded cumulative sales of approximately RM2.059 million as of March 2026.
