SERDANG, Aug 29 (Bernama) -- The Malaysia Agriculture, Horticulture and Agrotourism Show (MAHA) 2026 is expected to mark a new chapter for the nation's agricultural sector, with greater emphasis placed on sustainability in the agrifood industry, said Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu.
He said sustainable agricultural practices are crucial in helping the country reduce carbon emissions and address the effects of global warming, while creating wider opportunities for local produce to strengthen its presence in the domestic market and penetrate export markets.
“I hope MAHA 2026 will mark a new chapter for the nation's agricultural sector, where we begin taking steps to prioritise and focus on sustainability.
“Let us not regard the sustainability of the agriculture and agrifood sectors, or sustainable practices, as trivial matters,” he said in his speech at the opening ceremony of MAHA 2026 at the Malaysia Agro Exposition Park Serdang (MAEPS) here today.
Mohamad said MAHA 2026 also showcases various sustainable practices, including efficient electricity use, systematic waste and food management, reducing the use of single-use plastics, regenerative agriculture and the promotion of recycling.
Meanwhile, Mohamad urged the public to raise awareness of the critical importance of national food self-sufficiency by reviving the spirit of the Green Book Policy, introduced in 1974 by the country's second Prime Minister, the late Tun Abdul Razak.
He said the policy aimed to reduce the country’s dependence on food imports and address the rising cost of living by increasing domestic food production.
Mohamad said the government would continue strengthening the fisheries and livestock sectors through the modernisation of fishing vessels and farms, the development of high-value aquaculture industries, the adoption of technology in animal feed production, and enhanced biosecurity measures for disease control.
He added that MAHA 2026 serves as a platform to strengthen international cooperation in the agricultural sector, with delegations from 14 countries participating in the event.
Several cooperation agreements between countries are expected to be finalised during MAHA 2026.
However, Mohamad stressed that the ministry does not want such collaborations to end merely with the signing of memoranda of understanding (MoUs), but to translate into meaningful and tangible outcomes.
Firstly, we want to see these MoUs translate into more than just signed agreements. We also want to create opportunities to increase export sales and enable local entrepreneurs, particularly new businesses and agritech start-ups, to secure capital injections from local and international investors,” he said.
MAHA 2026 is being held from Aug 28 to Sept 6 at the Malaysia Agro Exposition Park Serdang (MAEPS), bringing together about 2,000 exhibitors and targeting more than four million visitors.
Also present were Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food Security Datuk Chan Foong Hin and the Ministry’s Secretary-General, Datuk Seri Isham Ishak.
-- BERNAMA