KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 22 — The affordability of Malaysia’s healthy plate model, “Suku-Suku Separuh”, is not an indicator of local food supply problems, said Agriculture and Food Security Minister Mohamad Sabu.
Although he acknowledged the rising costs of agricultural inputs (seeds, fertiliser, animal feed, and pesticides), climate change, and reliance on food imports, Mohamad said the Agriculture and Food Security Ministry (KPKM) sought to ensure access to affordable proteins, and fruits and vegetables.
“In short, Suku-Suku Separuh should not be interpreted as an indicator of limited local food supply, but rather as a public health and healthy eating strategy.
“The government remains committed to increasing SSR (self-sufficiency ratio) for basic food commodities to ensure the nation’s food security,” Mohamad said in a four-page statement to CodeBlue.
CodeBlue recently reported a survey by the Galen Centre for Health and Social Policy and Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) that found Suku-Suku Separuh meals are unaffordable for most Malaysian families, as eating two such healthy plates daily costs 46 per cent of national household income.
By state, the cost of two daily Suku-Suku Separuh meals ranges from 32 per cent of household income in Labuan to 66 per cent in Sarawak. The national average price of a Suku-Suku Separuh plate in Malaysia is about RM12.60.
“The Suku-Suku Separuh approach is a healthy eating guide emphasising balance between key food groups, not a reflection of local food supply constraints,” said Mohamad.
“However, the SSR of certain basic food commodities is still low, particularly ruminant meat and rice. The government, through the National Agrofood Policy 2.0 (2021–2030), has set targets to increase SSR by 2030 — including 50 per cent for beef/buffalo meat and 80 per cent for rice.
“Efforts will continue in phases through investment in local production, strengthening agricultural value chains, modern technology, and strategic cooperation with industry.”
Malaysia’s self-sufficiency level for rice has been between 67 and 70 per cent in recent years, meaning the country produces about two-thirds of its domestic rice demand. In 2022, Malaysia’s SSR stood at only 14.7 per cent for beef and water buffalo meat.
Suku-Suku Separuh, a healthy plate model touted by the Ministry of Health (MOH), comprises a quarter protein, a quarter carbohydrates, and half fruits and vegetables.
In commenting on the National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) 2024: Nutrition report, Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad told reporters last month that healthy eating involved a “whole-of-government strategy”, adding that shortages of fruits, vegetables, and dairy products continued to be a challenge.
According to the NHMS 2024: Nutrition study, Malaysians don’t eat the recommended servings of various food groups: fruits; vegetables; cereals; meat, poultry and eggs; fish and seafood; nuts and legumes; and milk and dairy products.
The Draft National Food Security Blueprint (NFSB) 2030 claimed that only 1.8 per cent of Malaysians can’t afford a healthy diet, citing data from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), even as the KPKM document acknowledged the burden on Malaysia’s health care system from a rise in non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
In response to CodeBlue’s question on whether KPKM stood by that extremely low figure, Mohamad merely said the Madani government aimed to eradicate hardcore poverty through various initiatives across ministries, such as Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah, Sara, Inisiatif Pendapatan Rakyat, Jualan Rahmah, Jualan Agro Madani, etc.
KPKM Initiatives For Rice, Chicken And Eggs, Fish, Fruits And Vegetables
Mohamad listed several KPKM initiatives to ensure affordability of proteins, and fruits and vegetables, including rice subsidies and temporary subsidies for chicken and eggs. The latter intervention ended after supply stabilised and market prices reached reasonable and stable levels.
In the fisheries sector, diesel subsidies and fishermen’s cost-of-living allowances continue to be provided to reduce operating costs, ensuring a steady supply of fresh fish at affordable prices.
For the fruits and vegetables subsector, KPKM provides various incentives and support to maintain production and price stability. These include incentives to cover part of the input costs, such as seeds, fertilisers, and chemicals.
Mohamad also touted programmes to promote the production of high-value local fruits through the provision of quality seedlings, farm infrastructure development, and technical training.
Agricultural marketing has also been strengthened through various initiatives, including the Agro Madani Sales Programme that offers fresh products at lower prices by selling directly from farms to consumers, as well as contract farming schemes with the Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority (Fama) that ensure more consistent markets for farmers’ produce.
In addition, the network of Farmers’ Organisation Authority (LPP) outlets also acts as collection, distribution, and retail centres for agricultural produce, helping to stabilise prices, reduce dependence on middlemen, and expand consumer access to fresh local products at reasonable prices.
At the same time, KPKM promotes the use of modern technologies such as fertigation, hydroponics, mechanisation and automation to increase the productivity of fruit and vegetable production at lower and more competitive costs.
“In conclusion, KPKM’s integrated policies and interventions ensure that the affordability of basic foods in Malaysia remains under control, enabling people to continue to access nutritious foods at affordable prices,’” said Mohamad.
KPKM Measures To Reduce Food Production Costs, Stabilise Retail Prices
Mohamad further listed several KPKM measures to reduce food production costs and to stabilise retail prices, including:
- Production input incentives: Provision of targeted subsidies for fertilisers, seeds, animal feed, and other critical inputs.
- Productivity enhancement: Promotion of modern technology (e.g., fertigation, IoT, mechanisation) to increase yields and efficiency.
- Strengthening logistics and marketing: Fama implements direct farm sales at marketing outlets including farmers’ markets, agrobazaar outlets, and supply matching (forward agreements, floor pricing) to reduce middlemen and channel supply directly to consumers.
- Source diversification: Strengthening local production through marketing contracts, RPKP (Rakan Pemasar Kontrak Pemasaran), agrocontracts, and collaboration with anchor companies to ensure continuous supply.
- Price monitoring and control: KPKM cooperates with the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN) to implement festive season price controls and enforcement so consumers get fair prices.
“All these initiatives aim to reduce costs throughout the value chain, stabilise retail prices, and ensure people have access to nutritious food at affordable prices,” said the agriculture and food security minister.
KPKM has also planned and implemented additional steps to reduce food production costs and ensure more affordable retail prices for the public. Key policies include strengthening research and development (R&D) to produce seeds, livestock breeds, and new technologies that are more disease-resistant and high-yield.
In the crop subsector, the government will expand the use of designated agricultural zones (ZPK) to create economies of scale and encourage the adoption of digital technology, artificial intelligence (AI), and big data analytics to forecast yields, detect diseases earlier, and optimise agricultural input use.
For the livestock subsector, public-private investment is encouraged to develop the local animal feed grain industry and produce alternative feeds based on biotechnology, thereby reducing dependence on imports which contribute to high costs.
In the fisheries sector, high-tech aquaculture development will be expanded, including biosecurity systems and automation to increase productivity more efficiently.
Additionally, KPKM focuses on developing an integrated cold chain infrastructure and centralised logistics to reduce transportation costs and post-harvest losses.
Collaboration with KPDN is also strengthened to ensure transparent price monitoring and prevent market manipulation.
“Through these measures, food production costs can be gradually reduced, enabling people to enjoy nutritious food at more affordable prices,” said Mohamad.
