THE Selangor Food Warehouse (GMS), once in operation, can improve supply chain efficiency and manage inventory to prevent shortages which can stabilise costs, says Datuk Izham Hashim.
The Selangor infrastructure and agriculture committee chairman said a food warehouse can help streamline the food supply chain, ensuring that food reaches consumers more efficiently and can help to stabilise prices.
Earlier, Izham who officiated at the Selangor AgroFest 2025 at Dataran Karnival in Section 13, Shah Alam, said effective warehousing can prevent food from becoming scarce, which will help to maintain a steady supply and prevent price hikes caused by shortages.
“We have to understand the warehouse will only keep staple foods like rice and proteins like chicken, meat and fish. If a major flood situation occurs or during unforeseen emergencies, we will release the food in the warehouse,” he added.
Izham said Selangor Agrofest 2025, which began on Sept 25 and will end Sunday (Sept 28) had seen an estimated 20,000 visitors till Saturday (Sept 27).
Selangor Agrofest showcased 160 agricultural and agri-food booths with a target of generating sales transactions worth RM500,000 over the four-day event.
The event also saw 10 agro-entrepreneurs crowned as Selangor Agro icons 2024/2025, each taking home prizes worth RM10,000.
Meanwhile on another note, Izham said Selangor believes that it is time for all states to work together under the Agriculture and Food Security Ministry to develop a new mechanism that can reduce dependency on imported food supplies.
“Selangor is unable to provide sufficient supply without cooperation from other states that possess diverse resources. It is very difficult for us to meet the needs of nine million people in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur on our own, but we can help strengthen the national food supply chain through modernisation and high-value agriculture,” he said.
He added if every state plays its role, including having a sustainable framework, the food supply across the country will be more secure and import rates can be reduced.
Izham said that the state is aware of the challenges faced by other states, especially urban areas, which require high costs, particularly related to land issues in producing domestic food supply or improving the self-sufficiency level.
“If we focus on high-value agriculture, even small areas can yield high output, such as modern farming (hydroponics), which can produce three times more than soil-based farming,” he said.
