Food security: Time for Malaysia to be more self-sufficient?

KUALA LUMPUR: With Malaysia’s chicken export ban being among the latest signs of a growing global food shortage, there is the question as to whether achieving self-sufficiency could help alleviate the country’s food woes.

According to food security expert Professor Datin Dr Fatimah Mohamed Arshad, the 3 C’s (COVID-19, the Russia-Ukraine conflict and climate change) posed significant hurdles for Malaysia’s chicken industry.

“The supply constraints are very challenging. They originate not only domestically but also from the international market,” explained the Research Fellow at the Laboratory Of Agricultural And Food Policy Studies at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM).

“It is highly complex because the prices of feed depend on the prices of corn, and the prices of corn depend on the supply of corn and wheat, where the major producers are Russia and Ukraine.”

On top of the export ban, the government has established a ceiling price for standard chickens at RM8.90 per kg until the end of June. It is also seeking to set up a chicken stockpile while waiting for supply to stabilise in a month’s time.

Highlighting the need to implement more long-term measures, Fatimah said it was time for Malaysia to review its poultry industry to develop into efficient producers of chicken feed and fertiliser.

“Domestically, our industries are doing well but we forget that we are importing almost 100% of the input –the feed, medication and so on,” she noted, while stressing the importance of everyone in the country getting involved, including large corporations such as Petronas.

“Look into the domestic situation. This is the best time to do CSR (corporate social responsibility) by giving cheaper urea and starting an agenda for development of fertiliser in Malaysia. We have the ammonia; we have the gas to help with the production of fertiliser. It is not impossible.”

There is also a need for more diversified industry players so they may cover a larger market and cater to different divisions of the community. The government, she said, should play a role in empowering small traders by training them in terms of cleanliness and safety.

Concerns over the global food crisis have repeatedly made headlines over the last few months. A recent report by American credit rating agency S&P Global Ratings estimated limited supplies and rising food prices to last through 2024 and beyond.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned on June 9 that millions may starve as Russia had seized parts of the country’s coast, driving up the cost of grain due to blocked farm exports.

Malaysia has not been the only Asian country to safeguard its supplies. Last month, Indonesia blocked overseas sales of palm oil for three weeks while India banned wheat exports.

The government’s National Agrofood Policy for 2021-2030 (NAP2.0), which was introduced last year, aims to transform Malaysia’s agrofood sector to be more sustainable, resilient and technology driven.

One of its strategies for the livestock sector was to increase growth and sustainability in the poultry industry and reduce dependency on imported feed for intensive farming.

However, Fatimah acknowledged there was a long road ahead for the country to achieve self-sustainability as agricultural produce requires time to grow and harvest.

In the meantime, she said, the government should consider reviving former Prime Minister Tun Abdul Razak Hussein’s Green Book Programme, in which the people were encouraged to cultivate their own crops at home.

“Have this campaign to grow green plants at home to reduce our dependence on the market.”

To ensure every family still has access to sources of protein, she suggested providing food coupons and setting up food banks for the underprivileged. Other helpful campaigns could include aiming for zero food waste and promoting healthy eating to begin cultivating better habits among fellow Malaysians.