Diversifying Malaysian agricultural and food production
1986
Goh, C.T. (Ministry of Agriculture, Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia))
The agricultural sector in Malaysia contributes about 20 percent of the GDP, and between 30 to 35 percent of total export earnings. However, Malaysia continues to be a net importer of food commodities which is estimated to constitute 9.5 percent of total import value. This paradox is a reflection of our relative bias in resource utilization in favour of each crop. The domestic food economy subsists largely on the production of rice, fisheries, livestock and poultry. The other food crops have received relatively less attention. There is now an awareness in Government of the need for a more broad-based food production strategy. Such an approach is expected to contribute significantly towards national food security, and narrowing of the foreign exchange gap. A point has been reached in Malaysian agricultural development where food production needs to be diversified to meet the needs of an expanding, and increasingly effluent population. This sentiment has found expression in the National Agricultural Policy, which is now being translated into programmes and policies.
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