Encouraging Malaysians to grow their own vegetables through community and household gardening initiatives does not mean the government lacks a comprehensive strategy to address national food security, said Agriculture and Food Security Minister Mohamad Sabu.
The minister said programmes such as Kebuniti and household kitchen gardens form part of a broader, multi-layered approach undertaken by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security to strengthen the country’s food supply resilience amid global uncertainties.
According to him, urban farming initiatives should not be dismissed as insignificant, as similar efforts are also practised in developed nations.
Urban Agriculture As Additional Safety Layer
Mohamad pointed to Singapore and Japan as examples, noting that both countries continue to emphasise urban agriculture and encourage citizens to cultivate their own produce despite limited land and strong national food policies.
He said the practice serves as an additional safety layer for domestic food production.
“Do they not understand food policy? Or do they fully understand that a culture of self-reliance is part of a national strategy?” he said in a Facebook post on Sunday.
Mohamad was responding to remarks by an opposition Member of Parliament who claimed that encouraging individuals to grow vegetables would not resolve food security challenges due to its small scale and limited impact on national supply.
Food Security Linked To Global Pressures
The minister stressed that such initiatives should not be belittled, as they complement broader policy measures aimed at addressing potential disruptions in global supply chains, particularly due to geopolitical conflicts in West Asia.
He said rising fuel prices linked to the conflict could directly affect fishermen operating Category C2 and C3 vessels, who do not receive diesel subsidies, while also increasing logistics costs for agri-food distribution, potentially pushing up retail prices.
In addition, increasing global urea prices could raise agricultural input costs, while Malaysia continues to rely on imported grain corn and soybean supplies for livestock feed.
“This is the real reality of food security. It involves geopolitics, energy, agricultural inputs, logistics costs and international trade,” he said.
Measures To Strengthen Domestic Production
Among early measures already implemented, Mohamad said the government has increased the rice buffer stock managed by Padiberas Nasional Berhad from 200,000 metric tonnes to 300,000 metric tonnes.
The ministry has also engaged with Petronas to ensure sufficient supply of urea fertiliser at controlled prices.
At the same time, the government is strengthening several agricultural production zones, including the Permanent Food Production Parks (TKPM), Permanent Ruminant Production Parks (TKPR), Aquaculture Industrial Zones (ZIA), and Integrated Agricultural Development Areas (IADA), alongside farmer organisation programmes to boost domestic output.
Long-Term Strategic Direction
Looking ahead, Mohamad said the ministry is developing nine long-term strategic directions to further strengthen food security.
These include increasing domestic grain corn production, reinforcing the ruminant industry, developing the Ayam Saga chicken breed, improving paddy productivity and expanding the aquaculture sector.
“I assure that the ministry will continue working to monitor geopolitical developments, stabilise food supply, reduce import dependence and strengthen domestic production,” he said.
