Selangor urges consumers to choose local fruit as Malaysia’s import bill reaches RM7.5 billion
Selangor is encouraging consumers to buy locally grown fruit as Malaysia’s annual imports of fruit and vegetables reach about RM7.5 billion. A three-day state festival is offering about 40 tonnes of produce and targeting RM250,000 in sales.
Campaign links consumer demand with food security
The Selangor state government is urging consumers to give priority to locally grown fruit as part of an effort to reduce Malaysia’s dependence on imported fruit and vegetables. The country’s annual import bill for those products has reached about RM7.5 billion, according to Sinar Harian.
Datuk Ir Izham Hashim, Selangor’s infrastructure and agriculture executive councillor, said stronger demand for domestic produce could raise farmers’ incomes while improving the security of the national food supply. The campaign encourages residents to select Malaysian fruit for everyday consumption and to use it in gifts and fruit baskets, extending the potential market beyond household purchases.
The initiative places consumer choice at the centre of the state’s response to import dependence. It does not include a quantified import-reduction target or a timetable for replacing foreign supply. Instead, the immediate objective is to increase sales of domestic agricultural products and give local growers and food businesses a larger share of consumer spending.
Festival offers 40 tonnes of local produce
Izham outlined the campaign after opening the Selangor Local Fruit Festival at Aneka Walk in Shah Alam’s Section 13. The three-day event, running from Friday through Sunday, brought together about 40 tonnes of fruit across 15 types of local produce. The selection included durian, mangosteen, rambutan, pineapple and guava.
Most of the fruit offered at the festival was supplied by businesses in Selangor. A smaller volume came from other Malaysian states to meet expected visitor demand, showing that the promotion combines support for state producers with a broader domestic sourcing strategy.
Organisers set a sales target of about RM250,000 for the festival. The programme also included discounted “happy hour” sales, children’s competitions and promotions for products made from local fruit. These activities give processors and small food businesses an opportunity to sell value-added goods alongside fresh produce, potentially widening demand beyond the main harvest and festival period.
Water reserves limit immediate heat risk
The campaign is taking place as hot weather raises questions about agricultural output. Izham said fruit and other farm production in Selangor remained under control because water supplies were sufficient. Storage levels at the state’s seven dams remained above 85%, according to his comments reported by Sinar Harian.
The state government will continue monitoring river levels and water availability in case the hot conditions persist. The current reserve position reduces the immediate threat to farms, but continued monitoring is important for growers whose yields and marketable volumes depend on reliable irrigation.
For producers, the festival provides a short-term sales channel and public exposure. For processors and retailers, the broader campaign could support sourcing from Malaysian farms if consumers maintain demand after the event. Its impact on the RM7.5 billion import bill, however, will depend on whether local output can provide the required volume, variety, seasonality and price competitiveness across the wider fruit and vegetable market.