MELAKA: Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority (FAMA) is targeting to record direct sales from farm (JTDL) of RM6.0 mil this year compared with RM5.27 mil achieved last year.
Mohd Anis Mohd Yasin, FAMA deputy director-general and senior director of fresh produce division, said various efforts were undertaken by the government through agencies, departments and financial institutions to accomplish the target especially in encouraging more youths to participate in the agriculture sector.
He said one of the efforts was micro funding for the agriculture and agro-based sector worth RM100 mil offered to low-income micro entrepreneurs (B40) by Petroliam Nasional Bhd through a strategic cooperation with Agrobank.
“We encourage farmers especially youths from the B40 group to take advantage of the financing offer and generate more lucrative income through the agriculture sector.
“Besides that, this effort will be able to reduce agriculture imports which are still high and increase the involvement of Bumiputera in the agriculture sector,” he said to reporters after the launch of Melaka state JTDL programme 2020 at AEON Bandaraya Melaka here, last night (Feb 08).
The programme was officiated by State Agriculture, Entrepreneur Development, Cooperatives and Agro-based Industry committee chairman Datuk Norhizam Hassan Baktee. Also present was FAMA state director Che Samudin Hassan.
Elaborating further, Mohd Anis said with the financing offer, the youth community would be able to apply new and modern technology such as biotechnology to cut production time but yield high returns.
He said FAMA will always support and assist entrepreneurs or farmers including promotional activities and providing various outlets at strategic locations to market their produce directly to consumers.
“We see that most farmers or entrepreneurs have problems to market their produce,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Melaka state level JTDL programme involving the participation of 15 FAMA entrepreneurs from Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Johor and Pahang is held for four days beginning from last Thursday.
FAMA expects the programme to rake in about RM250,000 from the sales of local fruits, vegetables, delicacies and orchid plants. – Feb 08, 2020, Bernama.
