Current Challenges and Future Opportunities in Malaysia

The demand and supply of rice in Malaysia has been increasing annually, and although the growth rate of rice consumption has been volatile over the past 20 years, rice remains a staple dietary requirement for most Malaysians. This study will explore and investigate multiple characteristics of the local demand and supply of rice, and will also interpret/the significance of rice as a food security in Malaysia. This study specifically examines the relationship between the social background of Malaysians (in terms of population size, income and diet) and the demand for rice, as well as investigating several main areas which may contribute to this demand such as the local self-sufficiency level (SSL) of rice, production rate, price policies, agricultural perspectives with respect to land usage, modernization and researches and developments (R&D) of rice, and import/export of rice with respect to the population. The study will also include the projected rice demand in Malaysia up until 2050.