Concerted Efforts To Cut Food Import Dependence Trough Urban Farming - Dr Zaliha

LABUAN, June 28 (Bernama) -- Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Datuk Seri Dr Zaliha Mustafa has called for coordinated and innovative strategies to reduce Labuan’s heavy reliance on imported food.

She urged the implementation of urban and alternative farming systems to address the island’s limited agricultural land.

Dr Zaliha acknowledged that the duty-free island faces significant agricultural challenges due to land constraints and limited connectivity. 

However, she emphasised that sustainable food policies must be developed to ensure sufficient raw material supplies for the local population.

“Our efforts are to ensure adequate food supplies for the Labuan community despite the shortage of land and (limited) connectivity,” she told reporters after launching the Interim Report on the 2024 Agriculture Census in the Federal Territories 2024 here today.

Dr Zaliha noted that with only 0.22 per cent of land in Labuan zoned for agricultural use, the constraint makes large-scale conventional farming unfeasible, necessitating alternatives such as hydroponics and urban farming.

She said Labuan’s overdependence on imported food could result in price instability and a rising cost of living. 

In response, she announced that Labuan Corporation (LC), in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture, Department of Veterinary Services, and the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living, would evaluate the island’s food self-sufficiency levels, particularly for essential items such as chicken, meat, eggs, and vegetables.

She also proposed a long-term vision to transform Labuan into a ‘living laboratory’ for sustainable food systems in Malaysia, inspired from urban food district models in European cities.

“To realise this vision, we need a centre of excellence that collaborates with research institutions and universities, shifting from conventional agriculture to food alternatives such as cultivated meat and lab-produced cellular fermentation,” she said.

Dr Zaliha added she would instruct Labuan Corporation to identify any potentially suitable land for agriculture to bolster the island’s food security.

-- BERNAMA