By Abdul Rahim Sabri
CAIRO, Nov 7 — Three major consecutive challenges over the past few years have prompted the state government to devise strategies to strengthen Selangor's food supply chain security.
Menteri Besar Dato' Seri Amirudin Shari said the Covid-19 pandemic since 2020, political uncertainties, and the severe floods in 2021 have driven his administration to take the food supply chain more seriously to support affected residents.
“From there, we began to identify strategies, understand and protect land areas, implement technology, and encourage more young people to participate and persevere.
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Menteri Besar Dato' Seri Amirudin Shari speaks during the 'Affordable Living For All, Food Security in Selangor Cities' international forum in conjunction with the 12th World Urban Forum at the Egypt International Exhibition Center in Cairo, Egypt, on November 6, 2024. — Picture by HARUN TAJUDIN/MEDIA SELANGOR[/caption]
“Simultaneously, we are ensuring that we have sufficient provisions for three to four months based on the types of food supply chains we are establishing in Selangor,” he said.
Amirudin was speaking at the international forum “Affordable Living For All, Food Security in Selangor Cities” yesterday, in conjunction with the 12th World Urban Forum (WUF12) at the Egypt International Exhibition Center.
Sharing his administration’s experience with around 100 attendees, he said the state government is working to create its own food supply chain to reduce dependence on imported goods.
Following this, Amirudin directed all local authorities to identify land that could be used for urban agriculture for local communities.
He added that the Petaling Jaya City Council has already identified over 30 plots of land suitable for urban farming.
Drawing from the experience of managing the Covid-19 pandemic, the Menteri Besar said the state government is developing a plan to ensure a sufficient supply of nutritious food for three months by 2037, which could benefit residents in the event of a disaster.
As a result, efforts are being made to increase rice production across five growing seasons in Sekinchan, as well as in other suitable areas, to ensure food supplies remain sufficient.
Speaking to students during a separate forum at the Malaysian Embassy, Amirudin said the rice cultivation model in Sekinchan, developed over the past two years, will be expanded to Kuala Selangor, Sabak Bernam, and Tanjung Karang.
“The five plantings over two years are not due to the seed variety but rather the way we manage the paddy-growing areas,” he told approximately 100 Al-Azhar University students from various states.
Amirudin also elaborated that the government is working on large-scale grain corn cultivation to produce chicken and cattle feed, aiming to reduce reliance on imported animal feed, which costs between RM1 and RM2 billion.
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Menteri Besar Dato' Seri Amirudin Shari (front row, seventh from right) with Selangor delegates and attendees during the 12th World Urban Forum at the Egypt International Exhibition Center in Cairo, Egypt, on November 6, 2024. — Picture by HARUN TAJUDIN/MEDIA SELANGOR[/caption]
