Selangor is mulling plans to open two more food depots to help manage prices amid global supply disruptions triggered by the ongoing Middle East crisis.
State infrastructure and agriculture committee chairman Datuk Izham Hashim said currently, there were food depots in Sabak Bernam and Kuala Langat.
“With these depots, we can consolidate and distribute food to places such as the Pusat Lelongan Agro Selangor in Sijangkang and the Puchong wholesale market, where it will be sold at more affordable prices,” he said during the Selangor state assembly sitting at Bangunan Dewan Negeri Selangor in Shah Alam.
He was replying to Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali (PN-Hulu Kelang) who asked about Selangor’s minimum self-sufficiency level (SSL) in reducing dependence on imported food.
Izham said the SSL framework was being developed, stressing that the state was not solely reliant on it and was instead strengthening food security through the “Gedung Makanan Selangor” (GMS) programme.
The GMS initiative, he said, aimed to buffer food stocks equivalent to at least 50% of the state’s monthly food requirements.
“This is equivalent to about 24,000 metric tonnes of rice, 17,000 metric tonnes of chicken, 18,500 metric tonnes of fish and 130 million eggs,” he said.
“We also aim to increase the buffer stock to three months, but cost is a factor.
“Selangor spends about RM200mil a month to import rice, beef, fish and chicken.
“The state also pays for warehouse rental in Sekinchan, Port Klang and Seri Kembangan,” he added.
Izham said the state government was also looking at managing upstream costs such as livestock feed and fertilisers.
“For example, urea fertiliser used for crops is a petroleum by-product, and its price has increased significantly due to the Middle East crisis.
“We are exploring alternative fertilisers such as compost to help control farming costs and reduce food prices,” he said.
He added that based on population estimates, Selangor’s 7.41 million people required 46,000 to 48,000 metric tonnes of rice, 32,000 to 34,000 metric tonnes of chicken, 34,000 to 37,000 metric tonnes of fish, 260 million to 270 million eggs and 3,700 to 4,300 metric tonnes of beef monthly.
