SERDANG, Aug 28 — The Agriculture and Food Security Ministry (MAFS) has launched the Kebun di Rumah Sendiri (KENDIRI) campaign to empower Malaysians with practical home farming knowledge.
The initiative is a strategic national intervention that encourages every household to voluntarily grow some of its own food at home.
Its minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu said home gardens are not intended to replace the national food supply system, but rather to serve as a resilient supplementary food source.
"When every home can grow and harvest part of their daily vegetable and herb needs, we not only save on expenses but also build family resilience in facing any crisis or climate change," he said during the KENDIRI launch, in conjunction with the Malaysia Agriculture, Horticulture, and Agrotourism Exhibition (MAHA) 2026 today.
Mohamad added that KENDIRI's core philosophy is a highly inclusive, practical, and flexible concept that emphasises using whatever space is available.
The campaign's ultimate goal is to transform Malaysian homes into domestic ecosystems that can supply fresh, clean, safe produce, free from excessive pesticides, whenever needed.
He said the government's commitment to domestic and community agriculture has remained consistent. Since the Urban Agriculture Programme was first introduced in 2014 under the 10th Malaysia Plan, the Agriculture Department has allocated RM114 million to support the initiative.
The fund has supported and advised more than 45,076 community gardens, directly benefiting 251,510 participants nationwide.
"Entering the MP13 phase, the government is continuing this commitment by providing an allocation ceiling of RM30 million specifically to strengthen community agriculture projects at 1,370 locations, targeting 13,700 community members," Mohamad said.
Later at a media conference, he said MAHA 2026 is expected to attract over four million visitors throughout its 10-day run, starting today and running until September 6.
"But looking at today's turnout, I think the numbers will be even higher. As of now (3.45pm), we have already had 43,000 people attend MAHA 2026," Mohamad said.
In a separate programme, the minister witnessed the exchange of a memorandum of understanding between the Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority (FAMA) and Maybank Islamic Bhd (MIB) to strengthen agrifood entrepreneur development through financing, capacity building, halal certification and market access expansion.
FAMA was represented by its director-general Faisal Irwardi Ismail, while MIB was represented by its group chief executive officer of Islamic Banking Mohamad Yasin Abdullah.
Meanwhile, FAMA said in a statement that it continues to strengthen the development and competitiveness of agrifood entrepreneurs by launching the Agribusiness Segment at MAHA 2026.
The Agribusiness Segment brings together 141 booths, with 131 local entrepreneurs, featuring food and beverages, ready-to-eat products, snacks, traditional foods and seafood products.
The segment is targeting 200,000 visitors and RM4 million in sales throughout the exhibition.
