Food for thought

 

In 2019, former finance minister Daim Zainuddin warned that Malaysia had long ignored the importance of the agricultural sector.

As a minister under former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, the two men were instrumental in turning Malaysia into a manufacturing hub for the region. They placed greater emphasis on heavy industry, and shifted their gaze from the agricultural sector.

Hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of Malaysians moved from the rural areas to settle in the cities and towns, where factories were built at an unprecedented rate.

One of the effects was the noticeable lack of Malaysian domestic helpers in the houses in urban areas. With industrialisation, women who used to work as maids preferred to work in factories, where the pay was higher and life in the dormitories was adequate. As factory workers, they enjoyed relatively good social lives, unlike being cooped up in a house, 24 hours a day, where – only if they were lucky – they could enjoy one day off a week.

The shortage of domestic help was not the only casualty of Mahathir’s manufacturing drive. The agricultural sector also saw many men migrating from the villages to seek work in the cities and towns.

Mahathir then moved into the plantations and many were turfed out with nowhere to settle. They were essentially dislodged, with little effort made to ensure their wellbeing. Many retreated to the edges of the cities, in squatter areas, with no proper housing, sanitation, opportunities or provision for work, healthcare or education. But the reason for the displacement of the former estate workers is a story for another day.

Sadly, little effort has been made to lure more young people to the agricultural sector. Farming is seen as backbreaking and unattractive, with hours of toiling under the sun, or in driving rain, and little reward.

Last week, Dr Michael Jeyakumar, the chairman of Parti Sosialis Malaysia, highlighted the plight of a group of farmers in Kanthan, Perak, who were given their marching orders by the Perak State Development Corporation (PKNP). The farmers were forced to vacate more than 400ha (1,000 acres) of land on which three generations of their families had grown vegetables for the local market.

Jeyakumar said the Kanthan area was responsible for generating about 50 to 60 tonnes of produce daily. If the source of affordable vegetables is to be removed, does that mean that the state government has decided on an alternative supplier or grower of vegetables and fruits?

The price of greens has risen by as much as 200% for some varieties. Will the state import them and further burden the rakyat with high costs? Has the state not thought of the possible consequences of this drastic action to evict the farmers?

Ten years ago, the Perak government dismissed the pleas of the farmers who had toiled on the land for over 60 years and awarded it to PKNP. The farmers had been attempting to lease or buy the land but to no avail.

The same plight was suffered by a group of farmers in Chemor, when former Perak menteri besar Ahmad Faizal Azumu gave the land they occupied to the Perak football team and officials. They had just won the Malaysia Cup.

Like the Kanthan farmers, the ones in Chemor had toiled on the land for at least three generations and grown vegetables for the local market. They, too, had attempted several times to purchase the land.

If you were to check your local supermarket’s grocery section, you will notice the countries of origin for potatoes, onions, garlic, ginger, avocados and mangos. So, why are we not growing these everyday items?

Cabbage, cucumbers, bean sprouts and leafy green vegetables, as well as a good selection of fruits, can be locally grown, but what happens now that PKNP has designated the Kanthan belt for industry or housing?

What attempts have the federal or state governments made to stop our reliance on food imports and prioritise national food security? We don’t need a war to show the precariousness of our food supply chain. The Covid-19 pandemic has already threatened our food supply, with tonnes of vegetables being left to rot because of the shortage of workers to harvest the crops, or transport restrictions to ferry them to the markets.

We don’t have to wait for floods or droughts to bring about food shortages. The more insidious threat comes from our federal and state governments which have made little attempt to resolve the problem.

Malaysia’s food import bill ballooned from RM10.5 billion in 1998 to RM51.28 billion in 2017 and RM60 billion in 2019. Meanwhile, food exports increased from RM6.15 billion in 1998 to RM31.84 billion in 2017.

The shortsightedness of our leaders will mean that the rakyat will continue to experience hardship, if the problem is not nipped in the bud.

What is the Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority’s (Fama) advice to Malaysian farmers who wish to grow vegetables and fruits?

Will the education ministry market agricultural courses, thus making them popular? And will the health ministry promote the consumption of nutritious locally grown food? - FMT

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.