INTERACTIVE: How South-East Asia can push back against rising food imports

By SHYAFIQ DZULKIFLI
 

PETALING JAYA: Asean countries can reduce their growing food import bill by working together to create a coordinated strategy to strengthen food security in the region, say experts.
 

The strategy should focus on boosting intra-Asean food supply chains and reducing dependence on external markets, they said.
 

Nik Syafiah Anis, a research associate at Khazanah Research Institute, said a highly integrated regional food supply chain will strengthen food security in Asean.
 

“Encouraging trade policies that facilitate the seamless flow of agricultural goods by reducing tariffs and eliminating non-tariff barriers can improve food accessibility and diversity,” she said.
 

The call for greater collaboration comes amid Indonesia’s plan to gradually end its reliance on food imports, a move that highlights Asean’s rising food imports.
 

 

Indonesia’s president Prabowo Subianto, who was sworn in as Indonesia’s president in October last year, said he aimed to achieve food self-sufficiency within four years after taking office.
 

According to data from the International Trade Centre (ITC) Trade Map, Asean’s agricultural imports stood at US$129.13bil in 2023.
 

Imports surged after the Covid-19 pandemic to hit US$120bil in 2020, up from under US$100bil before the pandemic.
 

Vietnam accounted for the largest share at 20.9% (US$27.05bil), followed by Indonesia (US$26.06bil) and Malaysia (US$20.34bil).
 

Wheat, soybeans, and corn were among Asean’s top five imported agricultural products in 2023.
 

The region imported wheat worth US$9.46bil, while soybeans and corn imports each totaled US$5.21bil. 

 

Non-Asean countries dominate as the top four sources of Asean’s agricultural imports, with the United States leading at US$13.9bil, followed by Brazil (US$13.8bil), China (US$13.3bil), and Australia (US$12.3bil).
 

 

Agricultural economist Prof Datuk Dr Mad Nasir Shamsudin said Asean countries should buy more agricultural products from each other to strengthen regional food security.
 

“Intra-Asean trade in agriculture constitutes approximately 20% to 30%; the rest is exported beyond the region.”
 

Prof Mad Nasir said a comprehensive regional strategy must include securing key agricultural inputs such as fertilisers, seeds, and animal feed.
 

He said Asean Ministers on Agriculture and Forestry, alongside the region’s trade ministers, should integrate food security concerns into policy discussions - particularly when shaping the post-2025 Asean Economic Community agenda.
 

Dr Sarena Che Omar, CEO of PNB Research Institute said Malaysia’s position as Asean chairman for 2025 would be a great platform for the country to spearhead initiatives on food security.
 

She said a unified Asean food security strategy should focus on crops that thrive in Asean’s climate, such as rice and tropical fruits.
 

“We cannot expect to grow every single food item ourselves. There are agricultural products we can grow well, like rice, palm oil, pineapples, some vegetables, and tropical fruits.
 

“These are areas we should cooperate to help each other to produce better quality products, such as the exchanges of varieties, collaborating in research and development, and setting up government-to-government projects,” she said.
 

Dr Sarena said Asean should leverage its collective bargaining power to secure more favourable trade deals.
 

“For agriculture items like wheat, dairy, potatoes and corn, which we cannot produce efficiently, Asean countries can always combine for a stronger negotiation power with the exporting countries beyond the region,” she said.