The matter was decided in a policy meeting by the Cabinet committee on national food security, chaired by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim yesterday.

Malaysia’s current padi output based on two seasons a year only meets 70% of the nation’s requirements. It spends over RM1 billion a year to import over one million tonnes of rice to meet domestic demand.

The meeting also considered the efforts by the Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority (Fama) to ensure the availability of food supply and the proposal to establish a closed-house breeding system for productive and safe farm management.

“A total of three papers were examined to improve the country’s agro-food ecosystem, especially in achieving the targeted level of food security,” according to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office today.

The meeting, which is responsible for formulating a more holistic and sustainable food security policy and strategy, was also attended by plantation and commodities minister Fadillah Yusof, who is also deputy prime minister, as well as related Cabinet ministers and senior government officials.