Deputy Chief Minister Yahya Hussin has called for an increase in food production to insulate the state’s food supply from global environmental threats.
“The global environment is becoming more prone to disasters such as floods, earthquakes, drought and the effects of nuclear radioactivity.
“I feel that our state needs to step up plans to increase local food production,” he said when launching the Veterinary Services and Animal Industry Department’s Annual General Meeting in Sandakan today.
Yahya said the earthquake and tsunami which struck Japan, as well as recent flooding in Australia, had their implications on food production — affecting livestock breeding, causing lack of livestock feed and increasing the price of transportation.
The department, he said, should to be creative in coming up with programmes and initiatives that encourage livestock-based food production under the 10th Malaysia Plan.
This includes implementing other efforts to attract local and foreign investors to be involved in livestock production under the National Economic Transformation Programme.
Meanwhile, Yahya told reporters after the event that the ministry was monitoring entry of fishery and agricultural products from Japan following the radioactive pollution from a tsunami-damaged nuclear plant in the country.
Currently, he added, stringent monitoring was being carried out at airports and ports.
– Bernama
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