09.03.05 - Growing Demand For Organic Food In Malaysia - back
New Straits Times » Local
June Ramli
KUALA LUMPUR, Mar 5 2005
Growing Demand For Organic Food
An organic farming industry worth RM800 million in five years' time: That is what the Government is targeting under the Ninth Malaysia Plan.
With growing demand for organic food both at home and around the world, the country is planning to have 20,000 hectares under organic farming methods by 2010, said Ramlee Burhanuddin, assistant director of the Vegetable and Field Corp Division in the Department of Agriculture.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-based Industries has decided to increase local production by 4,000 hectares a year under the 9MP, which starts next year.
Ramlee spoke at the 4th Malaysian Exhibition on Organic and Natural products here, which was organised by Centre of Environment, Technology and Development.
Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting, who opened the exhibition, said that organic food consumption is expected to grow at 20 per cent a year.
The industry was expanding quickly throughout the world, he said in his speech. Singapore was the leading consumer of organic food in South East Asia, he added.
In its infancy now, organic farming involves about 900ha, making the sector worth about RM36 million a year. Nevertheless, Malaysia still imports some RM15 million worth of organic food, said Ramlee.
"More Malaysians are beginning to like organic food as it tastes much sweeter than food grown conventionally."
He said the biggest market for organic food was surprisingly people who had lived in rural areas, as the vegetables tasted more like those grown in their own backyard.
Ramlee also said that organic farming can reduce the cost of production by up to 30 per cent as compared to conventional farming.
At present, the allocation for organic farming under the Eighth Malaysian Plan stands at RM500,000.
The allocation under the 9MP is expected to be increased substantially, he said
