Tanah Rata assemblyman Ho Chi Yang has raised concern over the sharp rise in Chinese vegetable imports, warning that the influx is affecting Malaysian farmers and threatening national food security.
He said Malaysia's vegetable imports from China increased from US$550 million (RM2.3 billion) in 2022 to US$882 million (RM4.1 billion) in 2024, representing an average annual growth of 26 per cent. Ho noted that such growth cannot be attributed solely to domestic demand and risks destabilising the local market. "The uncontrolled inflow of imported vegetables, regardless of type, inevitably risks distorting the supply-demand balance and severely undermining the livelihoods of local farmers," he said.
Farm-gate prices in Cameron Highlands have dropped to RM0.50–0.60 per kilogram (US$0.11–0.13/kg) for cucumbers and cabbages, leaving many growers unable to cover production costs. Ho warned that prolonged losses could force small and medium-scale farmers out of business and discourage younger Malaysians from entering the sector.
Several crops, including cucumbers, tomatoes, spinach, eggplants, and long beans, already have self-sufficiency ratios exceeding 100 per cent. In these cases, Ho said, continued imports have created oversupply, depressing prices and weakening the domestic agricultural system. "Continued losses will drive farmers out of the sector, eventually collapsing domestic production capacity and undermining the nation's food security goals," he cautioned.
He urged the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security to review the current import mechanism and consider targeted quotas for vegetables where local production already meets demand. Ho also called for subsidies on fertilisers and pesticides to help reduce production costs for small and medium-scale farmers.
According to Ho, safeguarding farmers' livelihoods and reducing dependency on imports are essential steps toward achieving the agricultural priorities outlined in the 13th Malaysia Plan.
Source: Malay Mail
