States urged to gazette padi areas as rice self-sufficiency falls
PUTRAJAYA: State governments have been urged to gazette padi-growing areas to sustain rice cultivation and strengthen food security following a decline in the nation's rice self-sufficiency ratio (SSR).
Malaysia's rice self-sufficiency ratio has dropped from 68% in 2018 to 54.3% in 2025, prompting state governments to consider designating padi-growing areas. This decline in the nation's rice self-sufficiency ratio (SSR) aligns with the Auditor-General's report, which recommends gazetting padi lands to preserve agricultural acreage.
The Agriculture and Food Security Ministry recommended this proposal during the second 2026 Agriculture and Food Security Ministers' Meeting, attended by state agriculture executives and other key stakeholders. The meeting focused on measures to protect food-producing areas, including gazetting 24 state agro-food zones and implementing schemes for livestock farming and aquaculture.
These efforts aim to increase domestic rice production, strengthen food security, and support Malaysia Fest, which has grown in popularity since 2006. The meeting also reviewed the National Agro-Food Empowerment Programme, highlighting the approval of 347 projects worth RM349.15 million under the 13th Malaysia Plan.
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