June 16, 2025

Little impact from Israel-Iran conflict on Malaysia's food imports from Iran, according to minister

Malaysia is not heavily dependent on food imports from Iran, and as such, the ongoing conflict between the latter and Israel does not impact the country's food supply, said Malaysian Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu.

He explained that Malaysia's food import requirements from Iran are limited to dates and legume products, which are not among the country's primary food commodities.

"Most of our food imports (requirements) from Iran are not high (from Iran), Most of our imports are from India, Pakistan, the Middle East, China, and ASEAN countries," he told a press conference after visiting the Perak State Farmers' Organisation (PPN) cattle rearing project at PPN Perak Kampung Tengah on June 15.

In the context of the visit, Mohamad said his ministry would assist the livestock farm, which currently houses about 500 animals, in building a slaughterhouse to help increase the farm's productivity.

"We have set a target to achieve a meat self-sufficiency level (SSL) of more than 30% by 2030, compared to 20% currently. With the developments we are seeing now, we are confident of reaching the goal," he said.

- Bernama