KOTA BHARU, March 7 — The study report on the effects of the United States-Iran conflict on the country’s food security will be known next week, said the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security (KPKM) Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu.
The minister said the officers from KPKM’s food security and international divisions have been instructed to examine whether the tensions will impact oil prices and the country’s food export commodities.
“The majority of our food imports come from Asean countries, India, Pakistan, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, and China which are the main trading partners in the country’s agriculture,” he said while speaking at the launching ceremony of Majlis Perasmian Karnival Cahaya Aidilfitri Usahawan KPKM Dan Majlis Iftar Kasih at the Rural Transformation Centre, Tunjong, here yesterday.
Commenting further, Mohamad said he is confident that if there are any effects of the conflict, they might not be significant, considering that trade with Middle Eastern countries is more focused on the oil sector.
“Whether any increase in oil prices will have a cascading effect on food prices, we will wait for the full report from the officials next week,” he said.
Yesterday, Mohamad said that the ongoing US-Iran conflict in the Middle East has not yet affected the country’s food supply security because most of Malaysia’s food import sources do not involve either of these countries. — Bernama
