Amanda Siddharta
Research expert covering Malaysia
Food industry in Malaysia - statistics & facts
Malaysian food is the epitome of its rich and diverse culture. With unique aromatic flavors and mostly spicy dishes, its food is influenced by flavors from traditional Malay, Chinese, and Indian cuisines. Famous Malaysian dishes like laksa or roti canai are inseparable from the everyday lives of its people. As a result, the food industry in the country generated a revenue of more than 53 billion U.S. dollars in 2023.
Padiberas Nasional Bhd (Bernas) is the sole importer of rice in the country. The current Prime Minister, Anwar Ibrahim, has criticized the monopoly on the rice market enjoyed by the company. He urged the owner, Syed Mokhtar Albukhary, to share the profit from rice imports with poor rice farmers.
The contribution from food processing to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) in 2023 reached around 22.7 billion Malaysian ringgit. Nevertheless, the current inflation rate in Malaysia may impact the food industry in the country and consumers’ purchasing power as food prices continue to increase. Many people in Malaysia have had to cut costs on basic necessities like food and groceries. This could potentially decrease the revenue created by the food industry in the country in the coming year .
Rice as the staple food
Like in many other Asian countries, rice is the staple food in Malaysia. Many Malaysians would argue it is not a full meal until they eat rice. Furthermore, Malaysia’s national dish, nasi lemak, which translates to “fat rice” in Malay, consists of rice cooked in coconut milk. Since 2019, Malaysians have consumed nearly three million metric tons of rice each year. With Malaysia only producing around two-thirds of that amount, the production of rice in Malaysia is not enough to sustain the national demand. Thus, Malaysia had to import approximately 1.41 million metric tons of rice in 2023 to keep up with demand.Padiberas Nasional Bhd (Bernas) is the sole importer of rice in the country. The current Prime Minister, Anwar Ibrahim, has criticized the monopoly on the rice market enjoyed by the company. He urged the owner, Syed Mokhtar Albukhary, to share the profit from rice imports with poor rice farmers.
Thriving food manufacturing
The manufacturing industry is one of Malaysia’s largest industries, with food manufacturing an important contributor to the industry. Malaysian-produced packaged food is readily available in many large supermarkets and grocery stores across the country. Some of the leading Malaysian food manufacturers, like MSM Prai Bhd and Munchy Food Industries Sdn Bhd, have created well-known brands found in many Malaysian households.The contribution from food processing to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) in 2023 reached around 22.7 billion Malaysian ringgit. Nevertheless, the current inflation rate in Malaysia may impact the food industry in the country and consumers’ purchasing power as food prices continue to increase. Many people in Malaysia have had to cut costs on basic necessities like food and groceries. This could potentially decrease the revenue created by the food industry in the country in the coming year .
