KOTA KINABALU: The government assured consumers in Sabah that the region’s agricultural products will be more than enough to meet demand during the Movement Control Order (MCO) period.
In a statement here today, Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Dr Jeffrey G Kitingan said overall, the current supply of rice in Sabah is sufficient for six months.
“Our current stock of white rice at wholesalers and retail outlets stood at 12,528 metric tonnes (MT) while our buffer stock stood at 49,500 MT. We also still have 12,528 MT in shipment.
“These do not include fragrant rice, glutinous rice and basmati rice. On average, consumers in Sabah use 12,000 MT of rice per month,” he said.
The Agriculture and Fisheries Minister said Sabah also has enough vegetables and fruits throughout the MCO period.
The three Permanent Food Production Parks in Kundasang, Putatan and Lahad Datu are also operating as usual and have begun production.
He further stated that Sabah consumers need not be concerned about fish product availability because currently, the supply exceeds demand.
According to Food Fish Security for Sabah’s projection, the demand for fish products for 2020 was 176,959 MT while output was 202,436 MT.
There is also a sufficient supply of beef, buffalo meat, chicken, pork, eggs, and milk during this MCO period.
“As the minister in charge of the ministry that regulates agricultural products, I want to reassure our Sabah consumers that we will not run out of food.
“Therefore, there is no need for panic buying or stockpiling of essentials, particularly food items. These supplies are more than sufficient,” Kitingan said.
At the same time, he urged Sabahans to register themselves for COVID-19 vaccination as soon as possible.
“If you protect yourself, you are also protecting your loved ones and the people around you,” he said.-pr/BNN
