PETALING JAYA: Vegetable harvests in the country are likely to fall if a shortage of fertilisers persists over the next one to two months, says the Federation of Vegetable Farmers Associations of Malaysia.
Its president Lim Ser Kwee said fertiliser prices have risen by about 40% this month due to prolonged global supply disruptions.
“Many farmers are struggling to secure sufficient supply, with their existing fertiliser stockpiles expected to last only two to three months,” he said when contacted.
Owing to this, Lim cautioned that vegetable output could fall by between 20% and 30% if the shortage persists.
He said farmers are already under pressure from weak vegetable prices in recent years, leaving little buffer to absorb rising input costs.
Adding to cost pressures, he said that farmers rely heavily on diesel for farming machinery, irrigation pumps and equipment for fertilisation and pesticide application.
The federation has submitted a memorandum to the Agriculture and Food Security Ministry for urgent assistance, he added.
Among the proposals is a targeted diesel subsidy scheme such as Budi95 for vegetable growers, with a simplified application process through the Agriculture Department or farmers’ associations.
Also proposed is a permit system for container-based diesel use in agriculture, with clearer guidelines and centralised applications via cooperatives or associations.
The federation also urged the government to introduce fertiliser support measures, including bulk purchase schemes, transport assistance and price stabilisation mechanisms for selected inputs.
Lim stressed that farmers are not seeking blanket subsidies but “reasonable support” to manage rising and uneven cost pressures.
Meanwhile, Cameron Highlands Vegetable Growers Association deputy president Lau Weng Soow said the shortage of fertilisers, particularly urea, has reached a critical level.
He said about 70% of Malaysia’s fertiliser supply comes from China and recent export restrictions have led to significant shortfalls, not only here but also in several countries.
Lau said that modern farming techniques such as fertigation and hydroponics could also be affected if fertiliser supply remains tight.
As such, he noted that some farmers have turned to organic alternatives such as chicken manure, soybean residue and fish-based compost, although these are insufficient compared to chemical fertilisers.
“With supplies tightening, production in Cameron Highlands is already declining and the situation is expected to worsen over the next one to two months,” he said.
Separately, Durian Manufacturers Association president Eric Chan said farmers have been stocking up on fertilisers since end of March amid price uncertainty.
“Some suppliers are holding back orders until pricing is confirmed, so farmers are trying to secure whatever supply they can,” he added.
Malaysia relies heavily on imported fertilisers, with an estimated 60% to 90% of total supply sourced from overseas.
Recent export restrictions by major producers such as Russia and China and the ongoing conflict in the Middle East have further strained global supply chains.
