SHAH ALAM, Aug 29 — Households are being encouraged to grow their own vegetables and herbs as a practical way to cushion the impact of food supply disruptions, rising costs and climate-related challenges.
Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu said home gardening could help families reduce their daily food expenditure while providing an additional source of fresh produce when disruptions affected supplies.
He said the Kebun di Rumah Sendiri (Kendiri) campaign was designed to encourage Malaysians to make use of available spaces, including home compounds, balconies and community areas, to cultivate commonly consumed vegetables and herbs.
“When every household can grow and harvest some of its daily vegetable and herb needs, we not only save on expenses but also build household resilience against crises or climate change,” he said, New Straits Times reported.
Mohamad, who is also known as Mat Sabu said this after launching the Kendiri campaign at the Malaysia Agriculture, Horticulture and Agrotourism Exhibition (Maha) 2026, yesterday.
He stressed that household gardening was intended to complement, rather than replace the country’s existing food production and distribution system.
“Home gardens are not intended to replace the country's entire food supply system, but serve as a resilient supplementary food source for families,” he said.
Mat Sabu also added that a combination of geopolitical tensions, disruptions to global supply chains, energy pressures and extreme weather is placing an additional strain on the agriculture sector.
He said these factors were affecting agricultural productivity while driving up production and logistics costs, ultimately contributing to higher food expenses for households.
In March, Mat Sabu ordered his ministry’s officers and public to plant their own crops as there was no sign that the conflict involving Israel, the US and Iran would end soon.
He explained produce like chilli, eggplant and chives were suitable for additional steps to increase domestic food supply.
His proposal was later criticised by the public but Mohamad defended his call, stressing that countries like Singapore and Japan continue to encourage such practices such as urban farming despite having strong food policies in place.
