PUTRAJAYA: The Agriculture and Food Security Ministry will establish a special committee to address the country's low self-sufficiency level (SSL) of ruminant meat, which is only 20 per cent.
Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu said the committee would be chaired by ministry secretary-general Datuk Seri Isham Ishak.
"I hope that the ministry will be able to prepare a strategic plan to boost the country's ruminant meat production in the first quarter of 2025," he said in his speech at the ministry's monthly assembly today.
He said the focus would be on ensuring sufficient supplies, as outlined in the National Agrofood Policy 2021-2030.
He said geopolitical issues in agriculture were often closely linked to national sovereignty, where control over food resources is considered more critical than physical security.
"Geopolitical tensions and climate change have impacted the policy shifts of producing countries and the rise in global commodity prices.
"This has a ripple effect on the domestic economy of Malaysia, which relies on food imports."
Therefore, he said, food sovereignty is seen as more important than mere "security" as it affects the people's survival and the nation's long-term stability.
In this regard, the ministry was responsible for ensuring the country's food sufficiency and security without relying on external sources.