He said methods used by countries with lower reliance on imported food products such as China and Japan could be utilised in order to yield greater output.

“China and Japan are willing to provide training to our people if we want to learn how they produce more (in terms of agriculture and fisheries),” he told reporters after a gathering with farmers at the Langkawi Farmers’ Organisation building here.

The prime minister said both countries were known to have achieved food self-sufficiency despite having far larger populations than Malaysia.

“They are willing (at) any time for our farmers to learn (from them), in fact, they are even willing to send their people here,” he said.

He said there were several types of crops such as paddy, coconut, oil palm and rubber that could be cultivated in the form of an estate by merging several smallholdings.

“Big farms are profitable, (whereas) smallholdings aren’t,” he said, adding that the cost of farming operations could also be reduced through the joint venture.

Mahathir today also distributed 4,000 Aromatic Green Dwarf or Pandan coconut seedlings to members of the organisation.

“This (seedlings assistance) is a very valuable contribution. The only thing we want is for you to go back and plant them.”