Kuala lumpur: Malaysia recorded a score of 61.5 in the Malaysian Food Security Index 2024, an increase from 54.5 in 2023, indicating that the country's food security level is on the right track. Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) chief statistician Datuk Seri Dr. Mohd Uzir Mahidin highlighted that from the four main dimensions evaluated, accessibility recorded the highest score of 79.9, followed by stability (54.6), usability (50.4), and availability (50).
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the high accessibility score suggests that Malaysia does not face issues in obtaining food supplies due to the ability to compensate for domestic production shortfalls via imports. However, the dimension of availability, particularly domestic production, still leaves room for improvement. Mohd Uzir emphasized that future economic focus should be on strengthening the agricultural sector, expecting that such measures will further enhance the country's Food Security Index.
He noted that the government's efforts to incorporate modern technology in agriculture, including the Internet of Things (IoT) and drones, are among the contributing factors to the improved scores. He stressed that the agricultural sector should be strengthened through large-scale, commercially viable developments, starting on a small scale to ensure business sustainability.
Mohd Uzir added that the preliminary report will be finalized after improvements, including the development of a digital dashboard for easier access to data and analysis of the country's food security. Commenting on the global food security landscape, he stated that challenges persist, with the report The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) 2024 indicating that approximately 673 million people worldwide still experience hunger, while over 2.3 billion individuals face moderate to severe food insecurity.
He also mentioned that global uncertainties in food prices, driven by climate change, geopolitical conflicts, supply chain disruptions, and rising energy costs, impact food-importing countries like Malaysia through increased import costs.