KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 19 — The Science, Technology, and Innovation Ministry is allocating RM5.3 million until 2025 to upgrade facilities of the Malaysian Nuclear Agency (ANM) to address the country’s food security issues.
Its Minister Chang Lih Kang said the project, which started this year, seeks to improve food safety and security by increasing agro-food productivity through mutation breeding techniques.
“The stable isotope technique is used to determine the authenticity of the food and verify origins of a product,” he said at his ministry’s debate wind-up for the 12th Malaysia Plan Mid-Term Review at the Dewan Rakyat here today.
Chang said his ministry will help strengthen food security with technology.
“The use of technology such as drones and robotics by local companies to spray fertiliser and plant trees can increase efficiency, thus reducing dependence on foreign labour.
“The Malaysia Commercialisation Year initiative has increased the commercialisation of local research and innovation from universities, institutions and local research agencies, where 474 local research and development products and technologies have been commercialised and marketed, generating RM540 million in sales revenue,” he said.
Chang said a research outcome for the agro-food sector under his ministry was the production of NMR 152 rice seeds by ANM.
He said the seeds can produce up to 10 tonnes of rice per hectare, compared with around six tonnes using regular seeds.
“The production of NMR 152 seeds has also received various international recognitions, including the IAEA’s (International Atomic Energy Agency) Outstanding Achievement Award, the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations on Mutation Breeding in 2021 and 2014, and the Forum for Nuclear Cooperation in Asia Award 2020,” he said.
Chang said his ministry is preparing guidelines to study the feasibility of space launches to ensure the proposed launch site meets government requirements.
He said parties interested in establishing a launch site should submit a feasibility report for evaluation.
“The government will hold engagement sessions with the local community if the study shows the launch site is feasible,” he said.
— Bernama
