PETALING JAYA: As the global price of rice has plunged to a new low in eight years, the Federation of Sundry Goods Merchants Associations of Malaysia (FSGMAM) urges Padiberas Nasional Bhd (Bernas) to lower the price of imported rice.

Its president Hong Chee Meng said price of imported rice can only be lower with announcement made by Bernas.

He told Sin Chew Daily that Bernas had revised the import of white rice upwards when the global price was higher, and hence it should lower the price when the global price of rice dipped.

Bernas had reduced the price of imported white rice from RM3,000 per ton to RM2,800 per ton on December 1 last year, he said.

The second adjustment took place in May 15, when the price of imported white rice was reduced further to RM2,600.

The retail price of white rice is RM2.60 per kg currently.

“There is no shortage of rice at present,” he said.

The price of imported rice was revised upward from RM2,350 to RM3,200 per ton in September 2023.

The price was subsequently lowered to RM3,000 per ton last March.

Tan Swee Huat, president of the Malaysian Rice Grain Wholesalers Association (Persatuan Pemborong-Pemborong Beras Malaysia) declined to comment.

When contacted, Bernas said it did not receive notification from the government to revise the price of white rice again.

The source said price revision of white rice would be decided by the Ministry of Agricultural and Food Security.