IPOH: Perak has achieved a self-sufficiency ratio (SSR) of more than 100% for 18 of 30 major food commodities in 2025, the State Legislative Assembly was told on Tuesday (Sept 8).
State Rural Development, Plantation, Agriculture and Food Industry Committee chairman Datuk Mohd Zolkafly Harun (pic) said the commodities included rice, coconut, sweet corn and durian.
"Perak also continues to play an important role as a major food producer in the country, contributing 98.3% of national production of jicama, 44.6% of sweet potato and 29.8% of sweet corn."
He was replying to a question from Wong Chai Yi (PH-Simpang Pulai) on the strategy and latest progress of the Perak Food Security Plan to establish the state as a major food production hub, particularly through the adoption of modern agricultural technology or smart farming.
Mohd Zolkafly said Perak has remained the country's second-highest rice producer since 2023, while ranking third for banana and durian production, showing the state has a strong foundation to further develop its position as a major food production hub.
To achieve that goal, he said the state government is implementing the strategy in phases, focusing on targeted new projects and expanding existing ones through allocations from the state and federal governments.
"In the long term, the approach involves specialising crops by district based on land suitability, agroclimatic conditions, infrastructure and market potential.
“For example, coconut cultivation is prioritised in Bagan Datuk; durian in Larut Matang and Selama and Hulu Perak; sweet corn in Perak Tengah and Kinta; while major vegetable production is being strengthened in Kinta and Kampar," he said.
Mohd Zolkafly said the state government, through the Perak State Agricultural Development Corporation (SADC), was also focusing on Smart Indoor Farming, particularly in urban areas such as the Kinta Valley, as a key approach to increasing productivity amid increasingly limited land resources.
This includes the adoption of technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), electrical conductivity (EC) and pH sensors, as well as automated nutrient control systems in hydroponic and fertigation activities. – Bernama
