These six items or commodities play a vital role in ensuring our food security, but we continue to rely on imports. Despite having the land and resources to produce them domestically, we have chosen not to do so. Perhaps their profitability is not as significant when compared to Musang King or palm oil.
Food security has emerged as a critical concern in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, exposing numerous vulnerabilities in our agricultural supply chain. Geopolitical conflicts and the impact of climate change have further exacerbated the challenges we face in maintaining a stable food supply, leading to rising prices and other issues.
Initially, we were importing approximately 3.7 thousand metric tonnes of grain corn per year for broilers and livestock feed, as reported by the USDA. However, global factors intervened, disrupting total volumes and, regrettably, driving up the prices of raw materials for feed. As a result, chicken prices have surged by 31%.
As we are all aware, rice is a staple food in every household in our country, with an annual consumption of approximately 2.9 million metric tonnes. However, our domestic production only covers about 69% of this demand. Currently, there is a global crisis concerning rice shortages, resulting in surging prices worldwide.
There is much to discuss concerning this issue. All of these items play a crucial role in safeguarding our nation's food security. If left unaddressed, we could face inflation or, in the worst-case scenario, market unavailability. We cannot overly rely on imported goods, especially when our currency is performing poorly. Prolonged inflation would burden our people significantly.
Disclaimer- The following text represents my personal opinions based on observations and analysis. Data has been collected from the Department of Agriculture (DOA), the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM), FAMA and the USDA.
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