The inaugural National Grain Corn Conference is set to strengthen policies and reduce Malaysia’s reliance on costly imports to enhance food security.
ALOR SETAR: The inaugural National Grain Corn Conference 2025 has the potential to enhance government policies for the industry and strengthen national food security.
Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu said the ministry is finalising the National Grain Corn Industry Development Policy with a new value-chain approach.
He officiated the conference here today.
Mohamad highlighted a pilot project at the 2,000-hectare FGV Grain Corn Farm in Perlis, which is showing encouraging early results.
The farm has achieved an average yield of about four tonnes per hectare in its initial phase.
The minister noted that all parts of the grain corn crop can be fully utilised, with the pilot also generating about 19 tonnes per hectare of biomass fodder for animal feed.
He stressed the importance of reducing imports, which average 2.5 million tonnes annually.
From 2010 to 2024, Malaysia’s grain corn imports exceeded RM3 billion in value each year.
Mohamad said this heavy reliance has major implications for the country’s trade balance and food supply security.
The poultry, egg and ruminant livestock industries are key government priorities due to their high dependence on grain corn for feed.
Current self-sufficiency levels are 93% for poultry, 107% for eggs and around 17% for ruminant livestock.
Mohamad said the government’s commitment is being translated into action, referencing an MoU signed last year between the government, FGV and Genting Plantations.
