MALAYSIA AIMS TO CUT FOOD IMPORTS BY 10 TO 20 PER CENT THIS YEAR

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 22 (Bernama) -- The Agriculture and Agro-based Industry
Ministry has set the target to reduce food imports by 10 to 20 per cent this
year, encouraged by the measures taken to increase domestic food production,
Deputy Minister Mohd Johari Baharom said Friday.

"We hope that with all the promotions and incentives, the country's food
import bill of RM27 billion (US$7.94 billion) in 2008 can be reduced by 10 to 20
per cent this year," he told reporters after launching the My 1Malaysia
Exposition at the Putra World Trade Centre, here.

The exposition is jointly organised by the ministry and Union Shield Event
and Marketing Sdn Bhd. About 70 local food products manufacturers are
participating in the three-day expo which will end on Sunday.

Mohd Johari said among the efforts taken to reduce food imports were the
opening of new rice bowl areas in Negeri Sembilan (southern state), Pahang (east
coast state) and Sarawak (east Malaysia state), satellite cattle breeding farms
and the National Feedlot Centre which could produce sufficient fresh meat for
domestic use.

On another matter, he said a review of the method for distribution of
incentives and subsidies for farmers, livestock breeders and fishermen,
conducted by the ministry since last year, would be presented to the Cabinet
soon.


He said the review was vital to ensure that the target groups received the
government's assistance without hassle.

"That is why we introduced a coupon system for the people's rice subsidy
programme (Subur), so that the target groups benefited from it.

"We also hope to reduce by half the subsidy for Super Tempatan (ST15) rice,
to only RM30 million (US$8.82 million)," he added.

-- BERNAMA