It's common to hear Malaysians say, "I can't survive a day without rice." Many of us even search for "rice" on Google Maps when looking for restaurants abroad. In our diverse society, each community has its favourite dishes, but rice transcends cultural boundaries. It is the staple food of Malaysians.
In 2022, the average Malaysian consumed 1.5 plates of rice daily, which totals 77kg per year. Among the 54 main food items tracked by DOSM - which includes fruits, vegetables, and meats - rice is the most consumed by a large margin. Following rice were chicken (28kg), coconut (24.2kg including the shell), eggs (22.6kg), and pork (17.6kg).
However, our rice consumption is gradually decreasing. A decade ago, in 2014, the average Malaysian ate 1.75 plates of rice daily, equivalent to 83.8kg annually. Interestingly, rice consumption hit a low in 2019 at 74kg per year. It bounced back to the 80kg level during the COVID-19 pandemic as lockdowns prompted more home cooking.
Despite the reduced demand, Malaysia is importing more rice than ever. This is due to both population growth and lower local rice production. In 2022, Malaysia produced 1,575 metric tons of rice, a 6% decrease from 1,677 metric tons in 2013.
To meet our demand for rice, Malaysia's rice imports have surged over the past decade, from 853 metric tons in 2013 to 1,113 metric tons in 2022 - a 30% increase! For every kilogram of rice consumed, 400 grams were imported. In a global rice crisis, Malaysia would face severe shortages, needing to reduce consumption by 40%, or 4 out of every 10 Malaysians would have to stop eating rice!
Here comes SSR!
Beyond rice, Malaysia imports other essential food items. To gauge if a country can meet its food needs through domestic production, we use the self-sufficiency ratio (SSR), a standard indicator that is used globally.
Self-Sufficiency Ratio = Production * 100 / (Production + Import - Export)
SSR ranges from 0 to over 100. A higher ratio indicates greater self-sufficiency. Near-zero numbers mean the country has to import almost all of the food items to meet local demand, while values of 100 or more signify that local production meets or exceeds domestic demand.
In 2022, Malaysia produced enough eggs to meet local demand and even exported the surplus, achieving an SSR of 108.9. Conversely, the SSR for mangoes was 32, indicating that local production met only about one-third of the demand, necessitating imports for the remainder.
For rice, the SSR has hovered between 63 and 70 over the past decade. The government aims to boost this to 75 by 2025 under the 12th Malaysia Plan (2021-2025) and to 80 under the National Agrofood Policy (2021-2030). The long-term goal is to reach 100 percent self-sufficiency to mitigate global market disruptions.
How much do you know about our food supply?
Let’s take a break from rice and test your knowledge about the supply of other food items. Can you estimate the SSR for the five food items below? Move the slider to make a guess.
The quiz above covers only 5 food items, but DOSM tracks 54 agricultural commodities, including vegetables, fruits, livestock, and fish commonly consumed by Malaysians. Let’s examine their supply to get a fuller picture.
There are four items we rely entirely on imports for - apples, onions, shallots, and garlic. Of the remaining 50, less than half (23) had an SSR over 100 in 2022, meaning local production met or exceeded domestic demand.
The items with the highest SSRs are sugarcane, papaya, watermelon, and duck meat, while those with the lowest SSRs are mutton, beef, ginger, and chilli.
How did Malaysia fare compared to other countries?
It seems Malaysia still has a long way to go before achieving total self-sufficiency. However, looking at other countries, especially our neighbours, helps put our situation in perspective.
The Global Food Security Index has assessed food security in over 100 countries, including Malaysia, since 2012. The index covers more than just the self-sufficiency of food. It evaluates food security comprehensively through four pillars: affordability, availability, quality and safety, and sustainability and adaptation.
Malaysia ranked 41st out of 113 countries, scoring 69.9 out of 100 in the latest 2022 index. We excelled in affordability (87/100) but had average scores in sustainability and adaptation (53.7/100) and availability (59.5/100).
Regionally, we are eighth among 23 Asia Pacific countries and second among Southeast Asian countries, trailing Singapore. Among upper-middle-income countries, we are sixth. In other words, we are performing well among our peers!
Another positive note is that Malaysia's score has been improving since 2012, when it was 63.9.
Threats to food security
Lack of food security can lead to conflict, instability, poverty, malnutrition, and even starvation. As Malaysia works to improve food security, what challenges are we facing?
A significant global factor exacerbating food insecurity is climate change. According to Dr. Shamshuddin Jusop, a fellow of the Academy of Sciences Malaysia, climate change has brought higher temperatures, rising sea levels, more extreme weather events, and soil erosion to Malaysia, threatening food security.
“Due to global warming, air temperature in Perlis and Kedah sometimes rises to as high as 40ºC, which coincides with the dry season. Farmers are worried about the shortage of water to sustain rice production in the Muda Agricultural Development Authority (MADA) area of Kedah-Perlis plains, the main granary of the country,” he noted in a 2022 article.
“The rise in temperatures also changes weather patterns. Serious floods occur more frequently in the country, such as those that hit Kelantan (2014) and Selangor (2021),” he added.
Another recent threat to food security in Malaysia is global supply chain disruptions due to the Russia-Ukraine war and the COVID-19 pandemic, which have driven up global prices of fertilisers and staple foods like cereals.
Efforts to ensure Malaysians are well-fed
We won't delve into the details of these policies. However, it’s crucial to highlight one key element behind them - data. Formulating and implementing policies without accurate and timely data is like flying blind.
Data is needed to answer numerous questions: Can we produce enough food to feed all Malaysians? How can we increase farmers’ income through agricultural products? What are our import and export strategies for food items? Who should receive government subsidies? What infrastructures need improvement or development?
We need agricultural data and its integration with economic, social, and environmental data to formulate comprehensive policies aligning with national priorities. For example, how do we increase agricultural productivity while reducing environmental impacts? What factors contribute to rural household income - agricultural or other activities?
But how is data collected to inform our agricultural policies? The most crucial approach is a nationwide data collection exercise called the Agriculture Census. Conducted by DOSM, it surveys all groups and families throughout Malaysia engaged in agricultural activities, including crops, livestock, fisheries, forestry, and logging. Administrative data collected by various agencies is also used as a base for this exercise.
Malaysia isn’t alone in conducting such surveys. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations has developed global standards for these surveys. Countries that have completed the agricultural census include Japan, Canada, Australia, South Korea, China, and our neighbours Vietnam, Indonesia, and Thailand.
Conducting a nationwide data collection exercise requires significant resources, time, and a substantial budget. Thus, it has only been conducted three times since the formation of the Federation of Malaysia in 1963, with the last one in 2005, 19 years ago! The Agriculture Census #BP2024 started in July this year and is expected to conclude in October.
Within these three months, DOSM will interview around 1.3 million households and houses, and some 20,000 organisations and institutions to gather necessary data. This involves travelling to every corner of the country to conduct paper-and-pen interviews with farmers, fishermen, wholesalers, and others involved in agriculture. Data that has been collected by other government agencies such as land records is also used as a base for this exercise.
Census takers will not only record demographic and economic information but also document agricultural practices, tools, and technologies used by respondents.
In conclusion, the Agriculture Census #BP2024 is essential for securing Malaysia's food future. By gathering accurate data on our agricultural practices and production, we can develop effective policies to tackle challenges like climate change and supply chain disruptions. This initiative aims to make Malaysia more self-sufficient and resilient, ensuring a sustainable food supply for all. The insights gained will benefit everyone, from farmers to consumers, helping us build a stronger and more secure agricultural sector.