Govt to boost local grain corn industry to cut import reliance, says Anwar
KUALA LUMPUR: The government has called for a comprehensive strategy to develop the local grain corn industry in a bid to reduce reliance on imports for the livestock sector.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said this was among a number of decisions made during the Cabinet Committee Meeting on the National Food Security Policy, which reviewed strategies to raise Malaysia's self-sufficiency rate (SSR) in meat production.
"(Increasing the SSR) is crucial to ensuring that the nation's livestock sector remains sustainable, resilient and competitive in the long term, thereby safeguarding national food security for future generations," he said in a post on Facebook today.
Anwar said that developing the local grain corn industry could also help spur the agri-food sector, boost rural economic opportunities, and improve the overall resilience of Malaysia's food systems.
The committee also agreed to incorporate the Malaysian Food Composition Database (MyFCD) into the policy framework to support public awareness of healthy eating.
"This initiative is seen as a critical step, particularly in raising awareness of healthy eating habits, towards building a healthy and productive society," Anwar said.
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