Asean members first for food exports

Food-Producing nations in Asean have pledged to prioritise the export of food commodities to member countries facing shortages.

Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu said the commitment was one of the important decisions reached during the 45th Asean Ministers of Agriculture and Forestry (AMAF) meeting.

"We discussed the issue of food security, for example, if there is a shortage among Asean countries, we hope that other Asean countries can quickly step in to provide support." 

Mohamad said this after visiting the Shah Alam National Botanical Garden with the meeting delegations, which included Japan and South Korea as members of the Asean Plus 3, as well as Timor Leste as an observer. 

Mohamad said his Thai counterpart had also given Thailand's commitment to supply rice and chicken to Malaysia if necessary and according to its capabilities.

 "If we want to get supplies from Brazil, it might take some time. But with Thailand, we can get chicken in less than a week if we need it, and the same goes for rice.

 "The (Thai) minister said as long as they have the capacity, they will continue to sell their rice to Malaysia. And Vietnam, as a rice producer, has also expressed prioritisation of export to Asean countries," Mohamad said.

On the visit to the Shah Alam National Botanical Garden, Mohamad said there was a need to intensify efforts to attract visitors to the garden.

The botanical garden is located within the Bukit Cherakah Permanent Forest Reserve. 

Currently, about 200 hectares have been developed for conservation, research, education, exploration and agrotourism purposes, managed by Taman Botani Negara Shah Alam (TBNSA) under the purview of the Agriculture and Food Security Ministry. 

Source: New Straits Times