KUCHING: The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industries (Mafi) through the government’s various economic stimulus packages is currently implementing 36 initiatives to revitalise agricultural activities and food production.
Deputy Minister II of Agriculture and Food Industries, Datuk Che Abdullah Mat Nawi, said this was to alleviate the impact of Covid-19 on farmers, fishermen, and agricultural entrepreneurs.
“Mafi has planned seven programmes through the Prihatin Economic Stimulus Package to increase the income of farmers and fishermen,” he said in reply to a question from Batang Lupar MP Datuk Seri Rohani Abdul Karim in Parliament, Putrajaya today (August 18).
These programmes, he said, were the Food Supply Guarantee Programme (RM42 million), Pineapple Logistics and Marketing Incentive Programme (RM13 million), Food Supply Storage Programme (RM30 million), Fishermen Association Special Fund Programme (RM15 million), Fresh and Frozen Fish Supply Programme (RM30 million), Farmers Organisation Special Fund Programme (RM50 million), and Food Material Mobilisation and Logistics Improvement Programme (RM10 million).
He said that under the Penjana package, Mafi had allocated RM400 million to implement three initiatives including the micro credit financing scheme which offered loans with an interest rate of 3.5 percent for five years.
“There is also the Kebuniti Programme (community garden) in urban and rural areas in the form of in-kind contributions of RM500 for individuals and RM50,000 for a community.
“The third initiative is the agro-food workforce mobility programme which provides retraining in the agro-food industry,” said Che Abdullah.
He hoped that all these initiatives and programmes would ease the burden of targeted groups affected by the Covid-19 pandemic while also boosting the country’s agro-food sector.
He said that Mafi had taken various measures to increase food production and empower local farmers and fishermen by increasing their incomes.
“The ministry has boosted food production activities through incentives provided such as seeds, fertilisers, pesticides, and technical advice services. We have also strengthened the infrastructure of agricultural areas such as roads and farm facilities, irrigation and drainage systems, as well as fish landing jetties and complexes,” he said.
According to him, Mafi had also increased the effectiveness of supply chain and logistics through centres for collection, storage, processing, distribution, and marketing.
“The ministry encourages the use of modern technology such as fertigation, drones, smart farming, big data, and the Internet of Things (IoT),” said Che Abdullah, adding that another step taken was facilitating farmers’ access to the appropriate loan financing schemes and grants.
He said that Mafi was aware of the importance of ensuring food security in the country and reducing dependence on imported food, adding that food essentials such as rice, chicken, eggs, vegetables, and fish were sufficient for domestic use through local production and imports.
