KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 19 — Farmers Organisation Authority (LPP) chairman Mahfuz Omar has defended the government’s reverse investment strategy for farming abroad as a “food sovereignty” measure.
Mahfuz, who is also Amanah vice-president, said food sovereignty cannot be measured solely by increased output or self-sufficiency ratios (SSR), but encompasses the nation’s capacity to control strategic inputs, data, logistics, markets and price stability, so that the national food system can function effectively even in the face of external shocks.
“Without control over the food system, the achieved sovereignty risks being temporary in nature,” he said in a statement yesterday.
“In this context, the announced reverse investment approach should be strengthened as part of a national food security portfolio, particularly for critical inputs such as seeds, fertilisers and animal feed. This measure is not intended to replace the role of local producers, but rather to serve as a strategic buffer to protect the people from volatility in global markets.
“At the same time, this approach should be leveraged to encourage the participation of local companies as strategic partners in the global food supply chain, so that expertise, capital and investment returns can flow back to strengthen the national agri-food ecosystem.”
LPP is a government agency under the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security Ministry (KPKM), whose mission is to empower farmers’ organisations in the country’s agro-food sector to produce productive farmers.
Agriculture and Food Security Minister Mohamad Sabu announced in his New Year address last Friday that KPKM will lead a reverse investment drive this year for government-linked companies (GLCs) and government-linked investment companies (GLICs) to invest overseas in ruminants (cattle), rice, milk, as well as seeds and breeding stock.
This year, KPKM targets increasing beef and buffalo meat production to 50,000 metric tonnes and an 18 per cent SSR.
KPKM secretary-general Isham Ishak told reporters that reverse investment measures, like growing rice abroad, would enable Malaysia to import supplies back into the country.
