THE Perak government is urging residents in the state to grow vegetables and rear livestock for their own consumption, due to current food shortages.

Menteri Besar Saarani Mohamad said this could reduce the rising cost of living due to the spike in the price of agriculture products and livestock meat, such as chicken and mutton, while the surplus could be sold.

“That is why I have been campaigning at various places in the state on this so that we plant or breed the produce ourselves and do not have to rely so much on imports,” he said in Gopeng today.

Earlier in the day, Saarani said to boost food security, the Perak SADC with the cooperation of the State Agriculture Department would be developing the Manong Agri-technology Park project in Kuala Kangsar on 40ha of land.

This was decided upon at the Perak SADC board of directors meeting in April.

“The SADC has also started the Perak halal hub project to further boost food security and provide employment while helping the state government generate economic opportunities for the people,” Saarani said. – Bernama, May 31, 2022.