KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 10 — The Selangor government has allocated a total of RM50 million as part of its effort to improve food security for the state’s growing 7.2 million population.

Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari said of that amount, RM40 million will be apportioned to a joint collaboration with the Selangor Agricultural Corporation (PKPS).

He said the joint effort is expected to improve food supply channels in three to six months.

"The state government will strengthen the availability of food stocks, especially the supply of rice, fish and meat in preparation for any situation in the region or even abroad, either as a result of climate change or even geopolitics.

"PKPS also has a rice planting template that has been proven to increase the harvest yield by up to twice a year. It will be introduced in Selangor, as well as to other states, in an effort to improve the state’s food security,” said Amirudin while tabling the Selangor Budget 2024 at the state legislative assembly in Shah Alam today.

Amirudin said the RM10 million from the total allocation will be used for crop clustering projects and downstream products in the state.

He said that there was a need to diversify Selangor’s food supply such as coconut, rice, bananas, melons and vegetables while also reducing dependence on foreign food imports.

"The time has come for Selangor to be a state that leads with the use of smart technology in agriculture by taking into account the limits of new land that can be used for agricultural purposes.

"Technologies such as hydroponics, aquaponics and vertical cultivation using artificial intelligence (AI) are important to attract the interest of investors and foreign countries so that they can offer job opportunities in the field of agriculture,” said Amirudin.

Earlier, the menteri besar tabled a RM2.53 billion allocation for Selangor, with RM1.33 billion allocated for administrative expenses and RM1.2 billion for development expenses.