WE are on the wrong track if we have to import RM54 billion worth of food annually when we live in a country that has vast fertile lands.
With the war against Covid-19 expected to be protracted, we urgently need to ensure that Malaysia is on the road to self-sufficiency.
The break in the global supply chain for food due to the pandemic has underscored the need for food security. Being overly dependent on imports, we run the risk of failing to meet the dietary needs of the nation.
Already, there are shortages of several food items and this has pushed up their prices in our markets.
While most of the items are in short supply due to lockdowns in the countries of origin, the Mekong river problem opens up another can of worms.
According to the International Strategy Institute, the proliferation of dams along the Mekong river, coupled with climate change, has drastically increased the salinity of the river.
This has affected aquaculture and agriculture production, especially rice in Thailand and Vietnam. Bear in mind that currently, our domestic production of rice is only sufficient to meet 70% of local demand.
The agriculture sector has long been ignored in Malaysia as the country shifted its economic focus to export-oriented industries. We then started to rely heavily on cheap migrant labour to drive this sector.
Global demand for such goods have plunged due to the pandemic. As countries try to reboot their economies, it would be prudent to introduce some quick-fix measures.
There has been a call for the revitalisation of Felda and Felcra, with emphasis on modern subsistence farming, niche farming, and the introduction of a “one kampung, one product” approach by an investment strategist.
He was spot-on when he said this will enable the people to generate jobs for themselves as well as others with similar interests.
We would do well to ensure a sustainable ecosystem for the food industry in Malaysia, and give incentives to spur food production in order to be more self-sufficient.
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