MALAYSIA’S self-sufficiency rate (SSR) for the supply of rice was 62.6% while it was 44.7% for vegetables. 

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food Security Chan Foong Hin said the SSR for fruits stood at 78.1%, beef (14.7 %), chicken and duck meat (94.4%), chicken and duck eggs (108.9%), fresh milk (57.3%), and edible fish (90.2%). 

To improve the SSR and enhance food security, he said the Agriculture and Food Security Ministry was focusing on increasing rice productivity through the Large-Scale Smart Padi Field (Smart SBB) programme, including the Mini Sekinchan Model and the five-seasons-in-two-years padi cultivation project. 

“The goal of the Smart SBB programme is to increase the country’s SSR for rice to 75% by 2025 and 80% by 2030,” he said during the question-and-answer session in Dewan Rakyat today. 

He was replying to a question from Mohd Isam Mohd Isa (Tampin-BN) regarding the types of crops and livestock that were being focused on to improve the country’s SSR to enhance food security and reduce dependence on food imports.  

Chan said the ministry also focused on increasing the production of vegetables such as ginger, cabbage, and chilli, and fruits like coconut. 

He said through the National Agrofood Policy 2.0, the ministry was targeting the SSR for fruits and vegetables to reach 83% and 79%, respectively, by 2030. 

As for fisheries output, he said the ministry would strengthen the production of edible fish through aquaculture, targeting an aquaculture-to-capture fisheries production ratio of 60:40. – Bernama, November 6, 2023.