KUALA LUMPUR (June 22): The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security is now in the final phase of drafting a Bill to regulate quality standards, distribution chains and ensure the stability of fertiliser supplies in the domestic market, the Dewan Rakyat was told on Monday.

Deputy Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Chan Foong Hin said the drafting of the Bill had made very positive progress so far.

“We are in the process of drafting the Fertiliser Bill. I have been informed that we have achieved about 70% to 80% progress,” he said during a question-and-answer session.

He was responding to a supplementary question from Cha Kee Chin (PH-Rasah), who raised concerns over farmers' complaints that fertiliser supplies in the domestic market were sometimes unsuitable for use whenever global crises occurred.

Commenting on quality control, Chan said the introduction of the specific legislation is critical to ensuring that the interests of agricultural industry players are protected from manipulation within the distribution chain.

“As such, this is important and I hope that when it is tabled, all Members of Parliament here will support the Bill,” he said.

Replying to the original question from Datuk Dr Radzi Jidin (PN-Putrajaya) on the government's measures to address the impact of the conflict in West Asia, Chan said his ministry remains committed to mitigating the effects of the crisis through various strategies to ensure the country's food supply chain remains intact.

“The conflict has triggered a global economic shock that has directly contributed to rising fuel costs and the prices of key agricultural inputs such as fertilisers and pesticides, thereby increasing the risk of disruptions to domestic food supplies,” he said.

Chan said measures taken by the government included implementing temporary sales tax exemptions and increasing special assistance allocations to ease the burden on paddy farmers.

As part of its future plans, he said the ministry is detailing measures to strengthen the agro-food ecosystem comprehensively, including the drafting of new legislation and the provision of emergency stockpile storage facilities.

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