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In 2023, Malaysia produced approximately **** million metric tons of rice, a decrease of around ** metric tons compared to the production volume in the previous year. Rice is a staple food among Malaysians and one of the most important food crops in the country. 

Rice imports to meet the local demands

The current production volume of rice is still unable to satisfy the demands of the staple food in the Malaysian market. The consumption of rice in Malaysia reached around million metric tons in 2023. Around ** percent of the market demand is supplied with rice imported from other countries.

The country’s dependency on imported rice could be detrimental to its food security, especially in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic and volatile global politics that could disrupt the supply chains. The Malaysian government is planning to increase local rice production and supply ** percent of the country’s total consumption by 2025.

Ensuring the welfare of rice farmers

The average monthly salary of workers in the agriculture sector in Malaysia was around Malaysian ringgit, hardly above the current minimum wage of 1,500 Malaysian ringgit per month. Increasing the production of rice would be a challenge without ensuring the welfare of the farmers.

In December 2022, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security announced that they had allocated 10 million Malaysian ringgit to assist rice farmers in the country. Although it is too early to tell, it is hoped that the additional financial support will be enough to support the growth in rice production.