GEORGE TOWN: The government was urged to take measures to avert food shortages in the country due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Former agriculture and agro-based industries deputy minister Sim Tze Tzin (pix) said Malaysia is highly dependent on food imports and any disruption in the supply chain could put the nation’s food security at risk.
Sim, who is also Bayan Baru MP, said Malaysia imports an average of RM50 billion worth of food products annually, a sum he described as huge for a small nation.
For the immediate term, he proposed that the Federal Agriculture Marketing Agency buys excess food available and resells it at markets where the movement control order (MCO) is strictly observed.
He said this is possible because the MCO has led to an over-supply of seafood and greens.
But for the longer term, he said, productivity at farms should be given a boost. “With so many countries under lockdown, there may be a shortage soon, and we may not be able to import food.”
Consumers Association of Penang president Mohideen Abdul Kader said the government should reduce red tape so food can be transported with ease to all parts of the country.
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