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KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia plans to review its approach to agriculture by modernizing the sector and adopting smart agriculture to increase farmers’ incomes and advance the sector.
The Minister of the Prime Minister’s Department (Economy), Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed, said that the sector remains important to the economy, even more so as the Covid-19 pandemic brought new perspectives on food security and job creation.
“Looking ahead, we want to ensure that this sector continues to grow. Smart farming will be a big topic.
“We want to modernize agriculture, incorporate more technologies and encourage young people to participate in the sector,” he said during a dialogue session with the World Bank Group country manager for Malaysia, Dr. Firas Raad.
The session was held in conjunction with the virtual launch of the latest World Bank report “Sowing the Seeds” from the Malaysia Economic Monitor.
In the next three to four years, the government also plans to transform the Federal Land Development Authority (FELDA) by diversifying the sources of income for its settlers, who currently depend on the plantation of oil palm and rubber.
Citing one example, Mustapa said that livestock farming may be one of the potential areas to consider.
Meanwhile, in his special introductory remarks, Agriculture and Food Industries Minister Datuk Seri Dr. Ronald Kiandee said that as of 2019, agriculture accounted for about 11 percent of employment and 7.1 percent of output. gross domestic (GDP) of Malaysia.
Strengthening Malaysia’s agri-food system would enable the economy to pursue other national priorities, such as shared prosperity, by introducing measures designed to improve farmers’ incomes, create agricultural jobs, and increase agricultural exports.
He said the Twelfth Malaysia Plan, which is nearing completion and will be presented next year, is an opportunity for Malaysia to clearly describe the potential of the agricultural sector and the role of government in facilitating its transformation.
Mustapa said Malaysia could be building an agricultural sector that is better responsive to the country’s contemporary food economy, including developing the capacity to supply more high-value foods consumed by the region and Malaysia, including aromatic rice varieties.
“Malaysia could also position itself to lead the supply of ‘healthy and safe’ products to the region and invest more in the human capital that will be needed to transform Malaysia’s agri-food complex.
“This includes training and attracting the next generation of agri-food system entrepreneurs in a wide variety of disciplines,” he added.
According to the ‘Sowing the Seeds’ report, the Malaysian economy is expected to grow 6.7 percent in 2021.
Growth will be driven by a faster-than-expected recovery in consumer demand, greater investor confidence and, consequently, a stronger recovery in national economic activity; following a projected contraction of 5.8 percent in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“As health risks diminish and the economy continues to recover, efforts should gradually shift from focusing on short-term policies to facilitating economic adjustments to allow new growth in the post-pandemic environment,” added the World Bank. – Called
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