The reported dumping of boxes of vegetables at the doorstep of Parliament has an alarming underlying message.
The Pahang state assembly member for Tanah Rata, Ho Chi Yang, together with farmers’ representatives from Cameron Highlands, delivered 100 boxes of vegetables to Parliament on 7 April.
They saw this as a way to draw the attention of the media and the government to the expensive farmland rental rates in their area. Rents in recent years have soared by over 500%.
High rental rates are not only heart-rending for farmers but could eventually threaten our food security. Such high rates make these crops increasingly unaffordable to ordinary people. It also makes farming increasingly unattractive and unprofitable.
We cannot help but wonder who is profiting from these rent hikes. How did rentals rise from RM800 per acre to RM4,500? Even dabbling in the stock market rarely gives anyone such ridiculously high returns.
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Are there no laws to curb profiteering, especially if it directly affects the cost of vegetables and fruit? Such profiteering will stunt the development of a thriving export business for such produce.
The farmers who rent the land are reportedly given only a short lease of about three-plus-two years.
Agriculture must be protected to ensure that the nation’s food security is resilient over the long term.
For the country’s agriculture industry to be sustainable, rental hikes motivated by a desire for excessive profits must be made illegal.
Hopefully, the government will consider this and use the Malaysia Madani (Civil Malaysia) principles to rein in excessive greed, which threatens to make food increasingly unaffordable.
AGENDA RAKYAT - Lima perkara utama
- Tegakkan maruah serta kualiti kehidupan rakyat
- Galakkan pembangunan saksama, lestari serta tangani krisis alam sekitar
- Raikan kerencaman dan keterangkuman
- Selamatkan demokrasi dan angkatkan keluhuran undang-undang
- Lawan rasuah dan kronisme
