SHAH ALAM, Nov 19 — The storage capacity for rice at the Selangor Food Warehouse (GMS) will be increased to meet the needs of the people for three months, up from only one month at present.
State executive councillor for infrastructure and agriculture Dato' Izham Hashim said the increase in capacity is essential, as the warehouse launched in March currently meets only about 15 per cent of Selangor residents’ needs for a month.
“This is a contingency plan to address food crises, particularly during natural disasters such as floods. At the same time, the warehouse can stabilise prices during such situations.
“At present, the storage of food supplies covers one month, equivalent to 15 per cent of the state’s population, and this will subsequently be increased to three months for a total of seven million residents,” he said during the Selangor State Legislative Assembly session today.
In March, Menteri Besar Dato' Seri Amirudin Shari launched the GMS as part of efforts to strengthen supply chain security and ensure price stability for essential goods during crises.
Operating at the logistics company Tiong Nam's facility in Port Klang, the warehouse stores 5,000 tonnes of rice and 1,000 tonnes of Allana frozen beef, enough to meet the needs of nearly 20 per cent of Selangor residents.
Meanwhile, Izham said various initiatives are ongoing to ensure the state’s agricultural sector and food security remain strong, including the opening of agricultural project areas under the Selangor Smart Agro Park and Agro Farm programmes.
The state government is also increasing output through the Permanent Food Production Park (TKPM) programme, which covers crops, livestock, and aquaculture across 22 areas totalling over 2,000 hectares.
“The state’s efforts also include the implementation of the Selangor Agro Transformation Plan (PeTA), which focuses on several areas, including high-value crops. As a result, the state is expanding the cultivation of crops like melons, ginger, and vanilla.
“Attention is also being given to programmes that increase yields from community gardens to strengthen agricultural supply. To date, more than 200 community gardens are registered with the local authorities,” he said.
When tabling the 2026 Selangor Budget on Friday (November 14), Amirudin announced a RM4.85 million allocation to strengthen food supply security, while RM9.5 million has been provided for the development of agro-food parks and potential land to reinforce the state’s agro-based industry.
