Kuala lumpur: The Agriculture and Food Security Ministry (KPKM) is intensifying efforts to boost local rice production, including through nine paddy granary development projects in Sarawak starting next year, to strengthen the country’s food security. Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu announced that these projects, covering the Batang Lupar, Kota Samarahan, Serian, and Igan parliamentary constituencies, involve an allocation of RM223 million for 2026.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the initiative is one of the ministry’s key strategies to enhance Malaysia’s self-reliance in food supply in the event of import disruptions and to reduce dependence on imported staples. Various measures are being implemented to address potential risks and strengthen food resilience, including improving mechanisms in the paddy and rice industry, strengthening the beef industry, and further developing the dairy and aquaculture sectors. Mohamad made these statements during the question-and-answer session in the Dewan Rakyat.
He was responding to a supplementary question from Aminolhuda Hassan (PH-Sri Gading), who inquired whether the allocation for the ministry next year would effectively support the expansion of identified paddy granary areas such as those in Sarawak. Mohamad highlighted that Malaysia’s self-sufficiency ratio (SSR) in 2023 was 56.2 per cent for rice and 90.2 per cent for chicken. Encouraging growth has also been observed in beef and fresh milk production. However, the country still relies significantly on imports for several food items, especially rice, poultry, and certain vegetables.
As of Oct 21, the nation’s physical rice stock stood at 1.19 million metric tonnes, which is sufficient to meet domestic demand for six months, while chicken production remained stable, with projections of 70.65 million birds. Mohamad stated that the government is taking a holistic approach by coordinating efforts among various ministries and agencies, including the Economy Ministry and the Rural and Regional Development Ministry, to strengthen national food security.
The initiative also involves collaborating with state governments to identify new areas for paddy granary development, in addition to ensuring that land allocation issues do not hinder project implementation. ‘Both Deputy Prime Ministers are directly involved in this food security initiative to ensure policies and actions are effectively aligned between the federal and state levels,’ Mohamad added.
However, the proposal to bring experienced paddy farmers from Peninsular Malaysia to assist with new granary operations in Sabah and Sarawak has not yet been finalised, as local manpower in both states is currently capable of managing the newly developed areas. In response to a supplementary question from Capt (Rtd) Datuk Dr Zulkafperi Hanapi (Tanjung Karang) on the local shrimp industry, Mohamad noted that the aquaculture sector continues to record steady growth and contributes positively to the improvement of the national fisheries SSR.