Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek said Malaysia’s food import bill was RM45.39 bil last year.compared to our food export was only RM27bil. We need to improve the agriculture technology, utilise all idle lands and encourage more research and collaboration with industry. Animal feed, poultry and meat imports alone amount to RM5bil a year on average.Some of the produce are controlled items, such as chicken, therefore the prices cannot be increased..We are already self-sufficient in some foods, such as rice, where we produce 70% of the population’s needs, meat and milk, we can only afford to produce 20% of the population’s needs so far, About 120,000ha of idle land in the country to help with food production,

http://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2016/03/15/rm45bil-for-food-import-bill-amount-is-rm18bil-higher-than-export-tag-says-shabery/