Malaysia seeking another 500,000 tonnes of white rice from India

PUTRAJAYA (March 27): Malaysia has requested for an additional 500,000 tonnes of white rice from India, said Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu. Mohamad said the official application to India would be made through diplomatic channels soon. “In the meeting just now, I took the opportunity to record our deepest appreciation for the special export allocation of 170,000 tonnes of white rice to Malaysia by the government of India,” he said in a statement issued on Wednesday after India’s Foreign Minister Dr S Jaishankar paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. On Oct 18, the media reported that the Indian government had approved the export of 170,000 tonnes of non-Basmati white rice to Malaysia as a symbol of the special friendship between the two countries. Mohamad, who also attended the discussion session between Jaishankar and Anwar, said Malaysia had also submitted an official request to India earlier this year to obtain a special ...