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JERTIH – The Agriculture and Food Industries Ministry has allocated more than RM43.5 million to boost Terengganu’s agriculture sector, as well as to develop the agrofood industry in the state this year.
Minister Datuk Seri Ronald Kiandee said that the allocation was channelled to the state government through various departments and agencies under the ministry, intended for the implementation of various projects, programmes and initiatives, across all sub-sectors including paddy and rice, fisheries, crops and livestock.
“The agrofood sector is also facing various challenges, especially after the Covid-19 pandemic, which to some extent disrupted the smoothness and stability of the country’s food supply chain. In this regard, the government is very committed to ensuring that the country’s food supply remains intact through continuous synergies with the state government.
“Therefore, close cooperation with the Terengganu government will be continued, to implement well-planned initiatives,” he said when speaking at the opening ceremony of the state-level 2022 Farmers, Livestock Breeders and Fishermen’s Day at Dataran Pekan Jabi, here today.
Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar officiated the ceremony. Also present was state Agriculture, Food Industry, Plantation, Commodity and Rural Development Committee chairman Dr Azman Ibrahim.
Meanwhile, Ronald said that the government, through the framework of the National Agrofood Policy 2021-2030, always strives to transform the agrofood sector into a sustainable, resilient and high-tech sector.
In this regard, he called on farmers, breeders and fishermen, especially the younger generation, to support the government’s efforts to bring modern technologies such as the use of the Internet of Things, digitalisation, mechanisation and automation to the agrofood sector – in the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution – to boost the sector to be more sustainable, effective and competitive.
Meanwhile, Samsuri, in his speech when officiating the event, said that 37% of the land in Terengganu is reserved for agriculture, but there are still 8,310.82ha of land, of the total, not yet cultivated.
“Therefore, the state government’s intention for land use can be optimised, through the involvement of private companies and government-linked companies, farmers, entrepreneurs, youths and the B40 group in the agricultural sector,” he said. – Bernama, June 23, 2022