Kuala lumpur: Encouraging the public to grow their own vegetables through the Kebuniti and Household Kitchen Garden programmes does not mean the government lacks strategies to address the country's food security issues, Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu said. He emphasized that these initiatives are part of a comprehensive approach by the Agriculture and Food Security Ministry (KPKM) to enhance the resilience of Malaysia's food supply amid global uncertainties.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Mohamad highlighted that countries like Singapore and Japan prioritize urban farming and self-cultivation as additional safety measures for domestic production, despite facing land constraints and having strong food policies. He questioned whether critics understand that a culture of self-reliance is an integral part of a national strategy. He made these comments in response to an MP's statement suggesting that self-cultivation would have minimal impact on resolving food security issues due to its small scale.

Mohamad argued that the proposal should not be underestimated, as it complements various policy measures his ministry is implementing to tackle potential disruptions in the global supply chain resulting from geopolitical conflicts in West Asia. He noted that rising fuel prices due to the conflict might affect fishermen operating C2 and C3 category vessels, which lack diesel subsidies, and increase agri-food logistics costs, impacting retail prices.

He also pointed out that increasing global urea prices could elevate agricultural input costs, while grain corn and soybeans for animal feed remain dependent on external sources. Mohamad described these challenges as the true realities of food security, intertwined with geopolitics, energy, agricultural inputs, logistics, and international trade, and stated that the KPKM has already taken action to address these issues.

Initial measures by the ministry include raising the rice buffer stock managed by Padiberas Nasional Berhad (BERNAS) from 200,000 to 300,000 metric tonnes and collaborating with PETRONAS to ensure adequate urea supply at controlled prices. Additional efforts involve strengthening Permanent Food Production Parks, Permanent Ruminant Production Parks, Aquaculture Industrial Zones, Integrated Agricultural Development Areas, and farmers' organisation programmes to bolster domestic production.

For long-term solutions, Mohamad outlined nine strategic directions, such as local grain corn production, enhancing the ruminant and aquaculture industries, developing the Ayam Saga chicken breed, and improving rice productivity. He assured that KPKM will persist in its efforts to monitor geopolitical developments, stabilize supply, reduce import dependence, and strengthen domestic production.