KUALA LUMPUR, June 16 — A Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) food security expert has urged the federal government to provide incentives to state governments that preserve land for food production.
Prof Anjas Asmara @ Abdul Hadi Abd Hadi Samsudin, director of UPM’s Institute of Tropical Agriculture and Food Security, warned that the continued conversion of agricultural land for housing and industrial development could undermine Malaysia’s food security.
Speaking on a podcast titled “National Food Security and the Era of Global Uncertainty” last Tuesday, Anjas said paddy land in Malaysia has been shrinking over time as states increasingly rezone agricultural land for development.
“Paddy land in Malaysia is shrinking year by year,” he said. “Especially if we look at the northern region, where much of the paddy land has been converted into land designated for development – for housing and industrial projects.”
Anjas said the trend was particularly concerning because not all land is suitable for paddy cultivation.
“These areas already have soil series that are among the most suitable for paddy farming,” he said, referring to soil classifications used to identify land best suited for particular crops.
Anjas acknowledged that state governments face financial pressures and often have stronger incentives to approve development projects than retain agricultural land.
“This is more of a political issue. We cannot deny that some state governments are not aligned with the federal government. They need to survive financially. One of the sources of state government revenue is land taxes.
“The levy for agricultural land is lower, so when they convert it to industrial land status, they earn much higher returns,” he said.
To address the issue, Anjas said researchers had previously proposed that Putrajaya provide financial incentives to states that allocate land for food production.
“We have previously proposed to the government, through a study we conducted together with the Malaysia Plan, that any state allocating land for the production of the nation’s food supply should receive some form of additional support or incentive from the federal government,” he said.
“So we very much hope that policymakers will take this proposal seriously.”
Fertile Agricultural Land Being Lost To Development
Anjas also raised concerns about the conversion of oil palm estates into residential developments, arguing that many of these areas comprise fertile land that had originally been selected for agricultural suitability.
He noted that plantation companies typically conduct soil testing before establishing estates and therefore tend to cultivate crops on productive agricultural land.
“When we convert that fertile land into housing developments or industrial areas, we lose a significant amount of land that is highly suitable for agriculture and food production,” he said.
While acknowledging the need for economic development, Anjas argued that food security considerations should be given greater weight in land-use planning decisions.
“We cannot reject development,” he said. “But when we look at current needs, I think food security needs should be prioritised more than the need for additional housing.
“We see many houses being built now, but not many are occupied.”
Malaysia Produces Rice Efficiently But Lacks Sufficient Farmland
Separately, Anjas said Malaysia continues to depend on rice imports despite having relatively efficient paddy production compared to regional competitors.
Malaysia imports rice from countries such as Vietnam and Pakistan, while maintaining buffer stocks that can last only between four and six months in the event of supply disruptions.
He cited India’s decision to halt white rice exports in 2023 as an example of how global developments can affect Malaysia’s domestic food supply.
“In Malaysia, what we lack is actually white rice. Long-grain rice and basmati rice are sufficiently stocked. White rice is the staple food of the people. That is what is lacking,” he said.
According to Anjas, Malaysia produces about 4.4 tonnes of paddy per hectare, outperforming Vietnam and Thailand in terms of productivity.
“Our weakness is in terms of acreage and total land area,” he said. “Thailand has vast land areas, so it can produce large quantities. Vietnam also has extensive land and can produce large volumes. That is where we fall behind.”
Climate Change Threatens Future Rice Yields
Anjas warned that climate change could pose an even greater threat to rice production in the future.
Citing research by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in the Philippines, he said a one-degree Celsius increase in temperature could reduce paddy yields by about 10 per cent per hectare.
“The next major challenge will be global warming,” he said. “There are predictions that future droughts will be extremely severe. We need to be prepared for that.”
To address the challenge, UPM has developed a drought-resistant rice variety known as Climate Ready Seeds (CR), which is currently undergoing the process of being recognised as a subsidised seed variety.
Prof Awis Qurni Sazili, director of UPM’s Halal Products Research Institute, noted that UPM had previously developed rice varieties capable of withstanding floods.
“We have flood-resistant rice and we have drought-resistant rice,” Awis said.
Anjas said the university has also developed Padi Putra 1, a rice variety resistant to blast disease, and Padi Putra 2, which is resistant to prolonged flooding.
The latest variety, Padi Putra CR, was developed over approximately 15 years and has already been registered. Researchers are now seeking approval for it to be included under the government’s subsidised seed programme.
“Putra 1 and Putra 2 have already successfully obtained subsidised seed status,” Anjas said. “Now we are working towards obtaining the same status for Padi Putra CR.”
