Penang: The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (KPKM) is currently assessing the necessity of forming a Seed Technical Committee to act as a regulatory body. This initiative aims to ensure that the nation's seed standards align with the demands of both local and export seed markets.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, this step is part of broader efforts to reduce the country's dependency on imported seeds. The initiative was highlighted during the National Seed Council (MBN) Meeting Number 1 Year 2026, chaired by Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu at MARDI Seberang Perai, Penang. The meeting brought together representatives from the ministry, government agencies, and experts from the seed and breed industry in the private sector.

Discussions also covered strategies for enhancing Malaysia's ruminant industry, focusing on goat and cattle commodities. The goal is to boost productivity through the creation of high-quality breeds and foster strategic collaborations between the government and private entities. The National Seed Hub initiative was also a key topic, underlining the importance of developing local seed and breed resources as a way to stabilize supply and ensure food security.

The ministry's statement emphasized the significance of ensuring seed supply readiness, especially in light of the global energy crisis, which has affected food supply chains across fisheries, crops, and livestock sectors. Additionally, the minister visited the Institut Pertanian Bumbong Lima (IPBL) to demonstrate the government's commitment to enhancing human capital development and encouraging youth participation in agriculture.

IPBL, one of the country's six primary agricultural training institutes, offers the Agricultural Certificate Programme and the Malaysian Skills Certificate Programme (SKM). To date, it has produced 3,430 graduates from the Agricultural Certificate Programme and 148 from the SKM Programme, contributing skilled individuals to the agricultural sector.

The collaboration between the government and private sector in the seed and breeding industry is also seen as a boost to the agri-food sector's competitiveness. Continuous efforts to empower local seeds and breeds are deemed crucial for achieving food security and sustainable agriculture, with a target to reduce seed imports by 30 per cent by 2040.