SHAH ALAM, Nov 5 — Sabak Bernam could become a major food supplier for the Klang Valley and Selangor by developing its agrofood sector, helping reduce Malaysia's reliance on imported food.
Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari said this potential was supported by Sabak Bernam’s position as Selangor’s food-producing hub, with output ranging from paddy and rice to livestock, vegetables, and aquaculture products.
The Sabak Bernam Development Area (SABDA) is among the state government's initiatives to strengthen local food production capacity and ensure a sufficient long-term supply.
"Every year, Malaysia imports more than RM60 billion worth of food, with Selangor accounting for more than 20 to 30 per cent based on its population and economic activities.
"If we look at the data, perhaps around 80 per cent of the RM60 billion in imports pass through Selangor because these goods enter the country through Port Klang.
"This is important to us. In the long term, we need to ensure sufficient food supplies through the production of local farmers and the ecosystem that we have," he said during a recent SABDA podcast.
Amirudin added that SABDA's development is not limited to agriculture but also includes strengthening the fisheries ecosystem to increase local food production capacity.
Citing the development in Sekinchan as an example, he said it involves more than just providing jetties, with facilities such as storage areas, processing factories, and an integrated ecosystem for fish landing activities.
Modern infrastructure and systems will enable the state government to assess local production capacity and determine which food supplies still need to be imported.
"With modern infrastructure and systems in place, we can calculate what percentage of food requirements needs to be imported and what percentage can be supplied to the people of Selangor and Kuala Lumpur," Amirudin said.
Sabak Bernam could play a greater role in strengthening food security in the Klang Valley by increasing production capacity and developing its agrofood ecosystem.
"With sufficient local production to meet the needs of Selangor and Kuala Lumpur residents, we may be able to reduce reliance on imports by 10 to 20 per cent," he said.
To realise this potential, the state government is also encouraging private sector investment through the Speed Selangor ecosystem, which prioritises faster approval processes to support agrofood sector development
For the record, SABDA is one of three economic corridors the state government identified under the First Selangor Plan (RS-1) to accelerate local economic development, particularly in agro-based agriculture, entrepreneurship, and community innovation.
Through the initiative, the state government is also focusing on developing the potential of agriculture, fisheries, and tourism to create economic opportunities and improve the well-being of local residents.
