Control of food prices - Feedback from Malaysian Stakeholders /Consumers
28 February 2023 The Current Situation We have depended too much on the middlemen in the food chain. This is why raw ingredients have caused food prices to be raised. At the moment, Menu Rahmah may have taken off in the Klang Valley, but it has not reached other places. Feedback from Ipoh, and two East Malaysian states suggest that they too are keen to have the budget meals but such idea has not taken off yet in their towns. What can the government do to help? 1. Talking about prices of food such as meat and veggies, YB Michelle Ng reported that resident associations in USJ 3/4 in Subang Jaya have already started buying their groceries directly from the farmers. This is to cut off the middlemen. The Domestic Ministry, for example, can use this model and help publicise their model for others to follow or connect the farmers with the resident associations of housing estates/condo/apartments. If farmers are short of workers, they have to start to innovate and automate their fa