KOTA KINABALU: Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu has assured adequate chicken and meat supply to meet the demand for the month of Ramadan and during the Aidilfitri festive season.
He said the ministry, together with relevant ministries and agencies, will ensure that the supply of essential goods is sufficient.
"If the supply is inadequate, we can import goods as we have established agreements with exporting nations like Thailand and China," he told reporters after officiating the Sabah International Food Expo 2024 (SIFEX2024) at the Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC) here on Saturday (March 9).
Mohamad said that this year, the ministry is emphasising the development of four key industries, namely padi and rice; poultry and eggs; red onion; and pineapple, to ensure ongoing progress, address food security challenges, and enhance economic growth in the agricultural sector.
"Currently, the country's chicken supply is stable, but we cannot solve the problem if our ringgit remains relatively low. Importing food from abroad in dollars can lead to an increase in import costs.
"As for the supply of eggs, it is sufficient, but we still import them, and we hope the breeders will ramp up their production efforts. For this festive season, the ministry will work with relevant agencies to ensure sufficient food supplies," he said.
Meanwhile, Mohamad emphasised the importance of achieving a 100% self-sufficiency ratio (SSR) for rice to secure an adequate rice supply for the people.
"Currently, the national SSR stands at 65%...but the goal of reaching 100% SSR can be achieved due to the ample land available, for example in Sabah, Sarawak, and Pahang.
"To ensure that we can achieve 100% SSR, we can also learn how to properly plant and fertilise. Other nations can get up to more than 10 tonnes of rice in one hectare, but we in Malaysia can only get three to five tonnes of rice in one hectare," he said. - Bernama
