KUALA LUMPUR: The government has spent more than RM1.53 billion to help padi farmers in the country including the input and output subsidies, the Dewan Rakyat was told today.

Agriculture and Food Industries Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ronald Kiandee said the agricultural input subsidies were 'Skim Baja Padi Kerajaan Persekutuan'; 'Skim Insentif Pengeluaran Padi' (SIPP); 'Skim Baja dan Racun Padi Bukit dan Huma'; as well as 'Skim Insentif Benih Padi Sah' while the output subsidy was provided under the 'Skim Subsidi Harga Padi' (SSHP).

He said the government had also increased the subsidised rate of pesticides under the SIPP from RM200 per hectare per season to RM300 per hectare per season for 2022 involving approximately RM62 million.

"Apart from that, special assistance of RM200 per month for a period of three months will be given to padi farmers next year while awaiting the harvest with a total allocation of almost RM230 million.

"The price of rice is according to the quality set by the IPB (Padi Industry Development Division) and the government because it is adjusted to the output subsidy. Overall, the government spent more than RM1.53 billion to help padi farmers," he said when replying to a question from Datuk Mahfuz Omar (PH-Pokok Sena).

Meanwhile, Ronald said padi farmers in the peninsula are currently enjoying the Guaranteed Minimum Price (GMP) at a rate of RM1,200 per metric tonne or RM1.20 per kilogramme.

The GMP was adjusted in 2014 and the rate was also subject to the quality of the rice.

"For now, the government does not intend to review the guaranteed minimum price of rice that has been set," he said.

-- BERNAMA