PUTRAJAYA, May 23 (Bernama) -- Malaysia and New Zealand have expressed commitment to enhancing cooperation to address the global fuel supply crisis and food supply chain uncertainties, including strategic collaboration on critical agricultural inputs such as fertilisers, dairy products and grains.
In addition, Malaysia expressed confidence in New Zealand’s regulatory system for agricultural products and encouraged the country to explore opportunities for sharing expertise in the field.
The matter was highlighted during a courtesy call by New Zealand High Commissioner to Malaysia Michael Walsh on Agriculture and Food Security Ministry (KPKM) secretary-general Datuk Seri Isham Ishak here yesterday.
The meeting followed an earlier discussion held in September 2025 as part of efforts to strengthen bilateral agricultural trade relations between Malaysia and New Zealand.
KPKM said in a statement today that New Zealand also offered capacity-building opportunities for KPKM officers through the ASEAN-New Zealand Manaaki Scholarship, in addition to existing cooperation under the Sanitary and Phytosanitary Committee of the Malaysia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (MNZFTA).
Isham also invited New Zealand to participate in the 2026 Malaysia Agriculture, Horticulture and Agrotourism Exhibition (MAHA), scheduled to take place from Aug 28 to Sept 6, in Serdang under the theme “Value Creation for Food Security”.
Agricultural trade between Malaysia and New Zealand totalled RM5.57 billion in 2025, with Malaysia’s exports comprising animal feed ingredients, while major imports from New Zealand consisted of dairy products.
Dairy products remained New Zealand’s largest export component to Malaysia, contributing about 75 per cent of total bilateral trade in the sector.
In addition, the two countries continue to maintain close cooperation through regional and multilateral platforms, including the MNZFTA and the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Area.
Malaysia and New Zealand will also celebrate the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries in 2027.
-- BERNAMA
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