BY ALVERDTEKOSTER ANYAP
KUCHING: Farmers are urged to increase the value of their crops by exploring other potential commodities and to take up challenges in the downstream business fields.
Added Deputy Plantation and Commodity Enterprises Minister Willie Mongin,“It is also the ministry’s effort to close the gap between upstream and downstream businesses because the prices are not encouraging.”
He stressed that pepper farmers were encouraged to explore other business fields so that they did not have to rely on growing one product only.
“The success of upstream entrepreneurs encourages and inspires future entrepreneurs to be more competitive to improve their products.”
Willie added that there were five successful entrepreneurs who had ventured into the local and global markets by selling their products online.
He added that it was the ministry’s aim to close the gap between upstream and downstream businesses as the price of pepper was not encouraging.
He spoke after officiating at the closing ceremony of the Pepper Agropreneur Development Workshop here today.
He urged pepper entrepreneurs to be aggressive and to add more value to their pepper products.
Willie added that entrepreneurs were encouraged to be committed and to persevere in facing challenges when doing business.
He said the next workshops would be held in Terengganu, Sarikei, Sri Aman and Miri.
