Malaysia eyes stronger cooperation with US in agriculture, food sector
PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia has expressed its willingness to expand its strategic partnership with the United States in the agriculture and food security sectors, including the production of corn for animal feed, improving agriculture mechanisation and automation as well as developing round cabbage crops in low-lying areas.
The Agriculture and Food Security Ministry (KPKM) said that its secretary-general Datuk Seri Isham Ishak (pic) expressed the ministry’s willingness while receiving a courtesy call from Deputy Chief of Mission of the US Embassy to Malaysia David H. Gamble.
He also welcomed US investments in Malaysia’s agriculture and food security sectors, including the development of technology such as Internet of Things, and improving seed varieties.
“As such, the ministry, with the cooperation of the Veterinary Services Department (DVS) and the Agricultural Department (DOA) are expected to conduct a working visit to the United States soon for the purpose of benchmarking Malaysia’s food health and agriculture control systems,” the ministry said in a statement yesterday, Bernama reported.
The working visit is in line with the commitments under the Agreement on Reciprocal Trade (ART) framework, and aims to boost supervisory capabilities, strengthen international confidence and support the national agrofood transformation and modernisation agenda.
The ministry also said that today’s courtesy call was the continuation of the strong bilateral ties between Malaysia and the United States, particularly in the agriculture and food security fields, with both parties exchanging views about efforts to boost agriculture trade cooperation.
“The courtesy call reflects both country’s continuous commitment to strengthen strategic relations in the agrofood sector, in line with Malaysia’s efforts to boost food security and improve the national agricultural value chain,” the ministry said.
Agriculture trade between Malaysia and the United States exceeded RM14.68bil as of September 2025, including exports of Malaysia’s various agricultural products to the United States, such as coffee, cocoa, tea, spices and processed agricultural goods, while United States imports cover a variety of food products.
