PARLIAMENT Deputy Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Minister Tajuddin Abdul Rahman has urged the public to plant vegetables for their own consumption instead of flowers and trees.

With this, he said, the people would not have to pay for imported vegetables, which have become much more costly due to unfavourable exchange rates and the depreciation of ringgit against the US dollar.

"If we 'jom bertani' (let's farm), plant we need, then there's no need to buy. There would be no issue on the exchange rate and ringgit devaluation. So this is an effective measure," Tajuddin told Dewan Rakyat during the question-and-answer session today.

'Let's farm' is a rural socio-economic programme aimed at assisting villagers to grow vegetables, fruits, livestock and fish to ease the high cost of living. It’s also aimed at reviving the declining agriculture industry."

Tajuddin was responding to Shamsul Iskandar Md Akin (PKR-Bukit Katil), who asked what were the measures taken by the government to deal with expensive imported vegetables, such as onions.

"The only thing is for everyone to work hard to plant what they need, be it vegetables, chillies or peanuts.

"The 'Let's farm' and urban farming programme is not only meant for rural people. Rather than trees and flowers, urbanites can plant vegetables at the front and back of their houses" urged Tajuddin, who is also BN Pasir Salak parliamentarian.

"We can even plant vegetables in the balcony, by the bedroom," he quipped.

Poor village boy

Tajuddin claimed he was a poor village boy who used to plant crops he needed as he could not afford to buy from the market.

The nation currently imports crops worth RM3.2 billion, he said.

The deputy minister also said the government was looking for the landowners of some 1,200ha idle land in its effort to increase vegetable production.

"We want the young to plant; (the majority of farmesr) are elderly. Do you expect people of my age to plant? We have desire, but lack energy," he said.

Tajuddin also hit out at the opposition for blaming the government for the devaluation of the ringgit, when external factors were the main cause.

"This is how the opposition played up the issue; it claimed the government caused the depreciation of the ringgit. Come on, this is nothing to do with us," he said.

“This is beyond our control. This is not fair, not right," he said.

Tajuddin's colleague Abdul Rahman Dahlan was widely criticised for urging motorists to rise early to use the free roads, claiming this way, the people could avoid tolled roads.