Govt to come up with laws to control price of pesticides, fertilisers - Willie Mongin

SERIAN: The government will come up with a policy to control the price of fertilisers and pesticides in order to help farmers and smallholders.

Deputy Minister of Plantation Industries and Commodities II Datuk Willie Mongin said the policy is at the discussion stage with the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industries and the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs.

"This policy will help entrepreneurs and smallholders get a lower price (for fertilisers and pesticides) so that they can get a higher return," he told reporters after officiating an agriculture commodity event organised by the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) in Kampung Pichin here today.

Commenting further, he said the plantation sector, especially oil palm, is also facing a critical labour shortage due to the COVID-19 impact, adding that the government has faced constraints in bringing them in due to problems with work permits and a minimum wage demand of RM1,500.

"To overcome this problem, foreign workers who are working here and not in the essential sector will be brought into the plantation sector but they will have to change work permits and employers," he added.

Up to now, 30,000 work permit applications by foreign workers in the plantation sector have been approved, the deputy minister revealed.

-- BERNAMA