MALAYSIA is stepping up large-scale grain corn cultivation to reduce its dependence on imports and strengthen national food security amid growing climate and geopolitical uncertainties, Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu said.
He said the move was critical as Malaysia currently relies entirely on imported grain corn to meet domestic demand.
"We are now facing hot weather and El Nino, which is expected to be more severe next year. That is what we are forecasting.
"But we cannot predict geopolitics. It can happen anywhere, and we need to prepare so that even if we cannot be fully self-sufficient, we can at least produce part of our requirements in Malaysia," he said.
He was speaking to reporters at the launch of a local grain corn variety and large-scale grain corn cultivation programme at Genting Tanah Merah Estate in Sepang today.
Mohamad said Malaysia could no longer afford to rely entirely on overseas supplies, noting that the country imported an average of 2.5 million tonnes of grain corn annually between 2010 and 2024 at a cost exceeding RM3 billion a year.
He said Malaysia should target at least 30 per cent domestic production, equivalent to a 30 per cent self-sufficiency ratio (SSR), to provide a buffer against potential disruptions to international supplies.
"This would serve as a defensive buffer and shock absorber should a supply crisis occur overseas," he said.
Mohamad said large-scale cultivation was also planned in Perlis, covering about 2,500 hectares, and Sarawak, covering approximately 5,500 hectares.
The two states are expected to become among the country's major grain corn cultivation centres, alongside planting that has already begun in parts of Perak, Johor and Pahang.
He said domestic grain corn production remained relatively small, but output from projects in Sepang and Perlis was expected to begin becoming evident towards the end of this year. - August 17, 2026
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