Malaysia will study ways to increase food production by drastically reducing its rubber sector and using the surplus land to grow crops, a senior minister was quoted as saying yesterday.

Rural Development Minister Azmi Khalid said rubber plantations will be cut to 800,000 hectares (1.98 million acres) from 1.4 million hectares, a report said.

He said the reductions are part of an effort to increase local food supply and cut food imports, and will be part of an ongoing study on overhauling the country's agricultural sector, the Sunday Star quoted him as saying.

Azmi said Malaysia imported RM15 billion (US$3.9 billion) worth of food a year.

Malaysia follows Thailand and Indonesia as the world's largest natural rubber producers - AFP