Govt trying to slice RM1.5bil onion import bill

MALAYSIANS consume onions worth more than RM1bil a year, said Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu (pic).“In 2022, Malaysia imported a total of 687,000 metric tonnes of onions worth RM1.58bil.“Of this, 38 tonnes comprised shallots worth RM81.5mil to meet domestic demand,” the Agriculture and Food Security Minister told Datuk Idris Ahmad (PN-Bagan Serai) in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday.

He said this would mean that each person consumed approximately 1.2kg of onions a year.