SHAH ALAM, April 22 — Food supply in Selangor remains stable and sufficient, with daily monitoring to ensure the supply chain remains secure.
State executive councillor for infrastructure and agriculture Dato' Izham Hashim said the current situation is vastly different from during the COVID-19 pandemic, when movement restrictions disrupted supply chains.
“At present, economic and logistics activities are continuing as normal; therefore, the food supply chain is not affected. Fuel supplies such as petrol and diesel remain sufficient for one to two months despite rising costs.
“The state also has adequate stocks of fertiliser, livestock feed, as well as food reserves capable of meeting the needs of approximately seven million residents in Selangor,” he said on the programme 'Teh Tarik Kopi O' with Selangor FM.
Meanwhile, the state government is currently monitoring developments of a second wave of price increases in basic agricultural goods following rising fuel costs due to the conflict in West Asia.
Izham added that they are formulating early preparedness measures to address the impact of these cost increases, particularly in the agriculture and food supply sectors.
“This second wave is already being felt as downstream petroleum products such as bitumen have shown price increases of up to double.
“The rise in the cost of downstream petroleum materials is expected to have a direct impact on fertiliser prices, which in turn could lead to higher food prices within the next two to three months,” he said.
The conflict, which began on February 28 and involves the United States and Israel against Iran, has affected trade routes in the Strait of Hormuz.
The Strait's closure, one of the main global oil trade channels, has also triggered a global energy crisis, prompting many countries, including those in ASEAN, to prepare for rising fuel prices and implement cost-saving measures.
