KUALA LUMPUR: The Agriculture and Agro-Based Ministry has taken several initiatives to help farmers in rural Sarawak market their produce including through the Contract Farm Programme, the Direct Sales from Farm (JTDL) Programme and the MyBest Buy (MBB) Programme.
Deputy Agriculture and Agro-Based Minister Sim Tze Tzin said through the Contract Farm Programme, farmers were guaranteed a market for their products through an agreement with the Federal Agriculture Marketing Authority (Fama).
“In 2018, a total of 160 farmers were registered with the Contract Farm Programme to produce vegetable commodities in 269.82 hectares of land, with a sales value of RM15.23 million.
“For fruit commodities, 333 farmers were registered as participants in the programme which covered 626.7 hectares of land, with a sales value of RM26.36 million,” he said.
Sim was replying to a question from Senator Dr Nuing Jeluing who asked during the question-and-answer session in the Senate today about the government’s efforts to help farmers in rural Sarawak who failed to market their crops.
Sim said the ministry also encouraged farmers to sell their produce directly to consumers through Fama programmes like the JTDL and MBB at the Satok Trading Area, farmers’ markets and Fama outlets like the People’s Agrobazaars throughout Sarawak.
He added that last year, the ministry, through Fama, also provided marketing guidance to 5,821 farmers in Sarawak and recorded sales worth RM180.77 million.
He also urged farmers in the country, especially in the rural areas to take advantage of the digital advancement to market their produce directly to consumers through online sales.
“In China, a village in the interior areas produced 100 millionaires after they marketed their products which were given added value on the ‘Alibaba’ business platform…so I see the potential for farmers in the interiors area of Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak to market their products online directly to consumers. – Bernama
