LUNDU, April 10 — Owners of idle or underutilised agricultural land are urged to consider leasing their land to ensure it remains productive and continues contributing to the nation’s food supply.

Minister of Agriculture and Food Security Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu said the initiative would help optimise land use while reducing Malaysia’s reliance on food imports.

He stressed that landowners do not need to sell their property, but can instead rent it out to companies or entrepreneurs interested in developing the land.

“Typically, companies seeking to lease land require long-term arrangements of 10 years or more, as agriculture takes time from planting to yield,” he said after visiting the Tanjung Purun padi planting project today.

Meanwhile, Mohamad noted that Malaysia, once among the world’s leading rubber exporters, is now importing the commodity due to declining domestic production.

He attributed this to the large number of smallholder rubber plots that are no longer being cultivated.

“Among the main factors is a labour shortage, as younger generations migrate to urban areas, leaving plantations untended.

“In some cases, landowners are reluctant to lease their land for development because they view it as ancestral property, resulting in it remaining idle,” he added. — Bernama

 Malay Mail – Malaysia