Kelantan will not experience food supply shortage - Exco

KOTA BHARU: Kelantan will not face a food supply shortage situation as the production of rice, fruits and goats has exceeded the people's self-sufficiency level.

State Agriculture, Agro-based Industry, Biotechnology, Green Technology, and Environment Committee chairman Tuan Mohd Saripudin Tuan Ismail said the proactive step was implemented by the state government on May 11 by establishing the state Food Security Steering Committee chaired by Menteri Besar Datuk Ahmad Yakob and state Food Security Working Committee chaired by state secretary Datuk Nazran Muhammmad.

He said both committees involved various government and state agencies, local authorities as well as representatives from higher education institutions to refine relevant issues and appropriate solutions to address the issues arising.

"Based on the self-sufficiency level (SSL) 2020 data, it shows that Kelantan is on the right track in achieving its mission to become the national food bowl.

"The SSL 2020 status for food sources for rice is 208 per cent, coconut (196 per cent), mutton/ lamb (190 per cent), fruit (117 per cent), vegetables (98 per cent) and fish (93 per cent)," he said.

He said this in his reply to a question from Rohani Ibrahim (PAS-Tanjong Mas) at the 14th Kelantan State Assembly sitting in Kota Darulnaim, today.

Commenting further, Tuan Mohd Saripudin said the state government had also taken several measures to ensure the security of the food supply in the state.

"Among the measures taken by the state government is to provide a special allocation of RM10 million through the Kelantan Agricultural Development Corporation for the implementation of semi-automatic closed-house broiler farms projects and integrated cattle breeding in oil palm plantations.

"We are also intensifying community involvement in campaigns related to the agriculture, livestock, and fisheries sectors such as the Green Kitchen, Seed Community campaign as well as Production and Storage of crop seeds campaign," he said.

-- BERNAMA