PUTRAJAYA: Some 15% of the three million hectares of land belonging to regional development authorities have yet to be used for food production, says Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
The Deputy Prime Minister said these plots of land were currently either underutilised or unutilised, and could instead be used to plant cash crops or for food production.
“The land can be put to good use, especially for low cost, high-impact food production.
“I have already directed the regional development agencies under my ministry to work with other agencies, particularly those under the Agriculture and Food Security Ministry, to see how best this land can be used to ensure better food security,” he told reporters here yesterday.
Ahmad Zahid, who is also Rural and Regional Development Minister, said there must be stronger will and effort to ensure Malaysia was not overly dependent on food imports.
He said the country’s food import bill currently stood at RM62bil, and this must be reduced.
While the exchange rate was also a factor why the food import bill was substantial, the high demand for food items was another, he said.
“That is why agencies must work together. We need to start somewhere and work fast on the issue of food security,” he added.
Earlier, Ahmad Zahid and Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Southeast Johor Development Authority and the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (Mardi) for the cultivation of coconuts.
It is estimated that some 600 tonnes of coconuts could be produced through this cooperation, with a gross income of RM483,000 a year.
