In 2019, Malaysia comfortably ranked 28th with a GFSI score of 73.8, while Singapore was 1st with score 87.4. In fact, Malaysia is ranked second among the ASEAN countries. Among the key findings of the GFSI report for our region:
Like most countries, Malaysia is dependent on international food supply chains, and currently imports over RM51 billion worth of food annually. As the population grows, the country’s demands for food will also grow. Statistics indicate that the country’s food import bill has risen by about 6.5% per year, increasing from RM30 billion in 2010 to RM50 billion in 2018. Malaysia imports most of its food from Australia, Canada, China, India, Indonesia, New Zealand, Thailand, USA, and Vietnam. In 2018, the highest amount of imports were for cereals at RM7.1 billion, followed by coffee, cocoa, tea and spices at RM7 billion, feedstock at RM5.9 billion, vegetables at RM4.6 billion, fish and crustaceans at RM4.1 billion, fruits at RM3.9 billion, meat at RM3.9 billion, sugar at RM3.8 billion and dairy products at RM3.8 billion. In 2019, the imports of rice and wheat were estimated at 1.0m metric tons worth RM1.4 billion and 1.78m metric tons worth RM2.4 billion, respectively. Across all these imports, nearly RM20 billion or 40% were in the form of processed food. Right now, we only have few crops that we can categorically fill the “food security basket”, namely rice, fruits, and vegetables. If we can diversify and plant the right crops, we can reduce our imports. It is estimated that fruits and vegetables worth over RM1.0 billion can be planted and produced locally including chillies, mushrooms, coconuts, mangoes, and bananas. THE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR PLAYS A SIGNIFICANT ROLE NOT AS MERELY A FOOD PRODUCER BUT ALSO AS A KEY FACTOR IN ENSURING MALAYSIA’S FOOD SECURITY.
Key Regional Findings
KEY STRENGTHS
Strong rail networks and irrigation infrastructure facilitate availability of food across the region Government support provides a strong foundation for food availability through food safety nets and access to financing Agricultural production has stabilised over time due to government support, enabling countries to better forecast food availability Access to electricity, which supports the ability to safely store food, has widened in the region
KEY GAPS
Public spending on agricultural R&D is declining relative to the sector’s GDP Corruption levels in developing countries remain high, affecting food availability through poor management of resources The quality of food suffers from a lack of diet diversity and availability of micronutrients and quality protein in the food supply Climate-related and natural resource risks are high due to region’s vulnerability to flooding, sea level rise and an increase in temperature and drought susceptibility Despite vulnerability to climate risks, many countries in the region lag behind on efforts to adapt their agricultural practices to these changes
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Malaysian Technology Strategic Outlook 2019/2020 Intergration of High Technology
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