URBAN AGRICULTURE IN MALAYSIA

URBN AGRICULTURE in Malaysia has a new beginning. The year-round warmth and sunshine in Malaysia enables Kuala Lumpur and other major cities not only to exist amid a canopy of tropical foliage throughout the city, but allows its residents to take up the fun and challenge of the rising urban agriculture. I personally had a look at this increasing popular trend through my articles in "Anim Agro Technology" that can be reach through URL: animhosnan.blogspot.com. From my observation any expats arriving in Kuala Lumpur for the first time are inevitably struck by its green vibrancy. Unlike many other major metropolitan cities, which tend to be bland concrete jungles dotted by skyscrapers, Kuala Lumpur is teeming with tropical greenery, often found in the nooks and crannies of its infrastructure. Whether this greenery survives the continuing urban expansion remains to be seen, but for the time being, KL is a lush hub. But there is a kind of different type of green that is slowly creeping its way into the woodwork. This isn’t the wild untamed jungle. This isn’t the carefully manicured lawn. This isn’t the well-managed public parks or the unending palm tree plantations that greet visitors once they leave the airport. This type of green is the product of urbanites rolling their sleeves, shoveling some dirt, and planting some seeds within or near the confines of their condo or landed property. This is the rise of urban farming.

Urban farming is not something new to Southeast Asia. Many cities have centuries-long traditions of having citizens grow their own food. In Hanoi, Vietnam’s capital, for example, a majority of fresh vegetables are produced through urban agriculture. In Kuala Lumpur though, the tradition is not as deeply ingrained perhaps because the city is only just over a century old. But the trend is catching on. Urban Farming Can Make a Difference where those who follows the news will be aware that food security is right up there with other critical global issues expected in the 21st century, such as nuclear proliferation and climate change. Despite many of the more affluent countries experiencing food surpluses, there is still a tremendous shortfall in the ability of this food to reach hungry stomachs. Indeed, according to MercyCorps, one-third of the food produced worldwide is never consumed, while 300 million children go hungry daily. The threat is so serious that the United Nations declared 2014 as the International Year of Family Farming to raise awareness on how family farming and shareholder farming can overcome this food gap and allow families to sustainably manage their own food source. In Kuala Lumpur though, starvation is perhaps not as critical a problem. The merits of urban farming here come more through the physical exercise involved in this activity, being able to grow your own food is cheaper than buying it in the market, and eating more wholesome organic fruits and vegetables not soaked with herbicides, pesticides, and fungicides. Plus, once you get the hang of it, it can be an endless source of fun. Thos who interested in urban agriculture assistance and some basic ino are advised to engage wtih Urban Agriculture Division, 7th Floor, Wisma Tani, Putrajaya. The division are alwalys wellcome anybody needs assistance in knowledge of urban farming, basic planting facilities and inputs and other material. Thanks.

By,
M Anem,
Senior Agronomist,
Conndominium Anggerik,
Seri Kembangan, Selangor,
Malaysia.
(2 Rejab 1438H)