Latest news with #AgricultureCensus
New Straits Times
4 days ago
- Business
- New Straits Times
Agriculture now lucrative, tech-driven sector for youth
GOPENG: Agriculture is no longer viewed merely as a traditional livelihood but has evolved into a lucrative sector offering high-income potential and modern opportunities. Deputy Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Arthur Joseph Kurup said the agriculture and agri-food sector remains vibrant and promising, particularly for the younger generation. "The issue of ageing farmers is not unique to our country; it is a challenge faced globally. "The ministry has several initiatives to attract more young people to venture into agriculture," he told reporters after attending the closing ceremony of the Perak Fama Fest 2025. The event was officiated by Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad at RTC Gopeng here today. He was commenting on Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof's remarks that there is a need to rejuvenate the agriculture sector by attracting more participation from the younger generation. This follows the findings of the 2024 Agriculture Census, which revealed that 458,395 agricultural operators are aged 60 and above; 326,287 are between the ages of 46 and 59; and 224,147 are aged between 15 and 45. Arthur also outlined several initiatives by the ministry to attract more youth into agriculture. "Our first initiative is expanding market opportunities through programmes like Fama Fest. This not only helps farmers market their products effectively but also highlights the sector's high-income potential. "Secondly, we are introducing modern farming methods. We encourage farmers to adopt technology and innovation rather than relying solely on conventional practices. "This approach not only enhances productivity but also appeals to young people by integrating elements like manufacturing, maintenance, and operations into the agricultural value chain," he added. He said other initiatives include providing technical and vocational education and training (TVET) courses. "The ministry offers fully funded TVET programmes in areas such as livestock, fisheries, and vegetable cultivation. These courses include accommodation and daily allowances to support participants," he said. He also emphasised the need for collaboration with state governments to ensure adequate funding and land availability to support young farmers in expanding and developing the agriculture sector. "Only through collaboration can we empower the next generation to lead the agriculture industry into the future," he said. Commenting on the event, Arthur said that Perak has been a key pillar of the Fama Fest programme, now in its seventh year. "Last year, our sales target for Perak Fama Fest was RM2 million. Due to the overwhelming response, we surpassed that target with RM2.6 million in sales. "This year, we've set a higher target of RM3 million. With 210 exhibitors participating over five days, we are confident of achieving this goal," he added. He added that Perak typically contributes the largest share of sales to the national Fama Fest programme, accounting for about 30 per cent of total sales last year. "This year, our target is RM6 million nationwide for the entire Fama Fest series," he said, adding that the festival will continue in other states, including Sabah, Selangor, and Negri Sembilan.
The Star
4 days ago
- Business
- The Star
Govt boosts initiatives to engage youth in farming
GOPENG: The Agriculture and Food Security Ministry is intensifying efforts to promote youth involvement in agriculture, amid concerns over Malaysia's ageing farmer population, says Datuk Arthur Joseph Kurup. The deputy minister stated that, with many farmers now in their 60s, the ministry recognised that the ageing farmer issue is a global challenge. He said that the country would implement targeted measures to address the issue. 'This is not a challenge unique to Malaysia. We are taking proactive steps to attract more young people to the agriculture sector,' he said at the Fama Fest 2025, which was held at the Rural Transformation Centre here on Sunday (June 1). Arthur was responding to the preliminary findings from the 2024 Agriculture Census, which indicated that Malaysians over the age of 60 constitute the largest segment of the country's farmers, while approximately 90% of all farmers have only completed education up to the SPM level. Arthur said that one of the initiatives was the organisation of programmes such as Fama Fest, which aim to create broader market access for young agropreneurs. 'We want to show that agriculture and the agri-food industry are viable and profitable career paths. 'The ministry is also advocating for a shift away from conventional farming methods, urging a transition to modern, technology-driven agriculture,' he added. He said the ministry was also promoting agricultural Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programmes. 'These courses, which cover areas such as livestock, fisheries, and vegetable farming, are fully funded by the government, including accommodation and daily expenses to make them more accessible to youth. 'There is also a need for cooperation from state governments. It is important that land and financing are made available to ensure young people have the resources to grow and expand their agricultural ventures,' he said.
The Star
6 days ago
- Business
- The Star
MyAgroPrice to aid consumers with comprehensive food pricing data
SERDANG: Ever complained about the rising prices of nasi campur but wondered why farmers are making so little at the same time? Well, now you can find out who is getting a cut from all the meats, greens and rice that is on your plate courtesy of the MyAgroPrice platform run by the Statistics Department. When it is fully up and running, MyAgroPrice will display the prices for almost all foods produced in the country at three stages – the farm, wholesale and retail. 'Consumers can see the difference between the prices that they have to pay compared to the prices at which farmers are selling their produce,' said chief statistician Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin when launching MyAgroPrice. The platform was launched together with DOSM's umbrella site, the Agriculture Digital Database Integration System or TaniStats here on May 29. TaniStats is compilation of all the data that the department has so far collected on the agriculture sector during its 2024 Agriculture Census. Besides MyAgroPrice, TaniStats will contain the census data, upstream and downstream sector statistics and food security indicators. 'This system will also integrate all agricultural data where updates will be carried out periodically among agricultural agencies and will be used as a reference for policy formulation, development planning and measuring the achievements of their respective sectors. 'TaniStats will strengthen strategic planning, increase supply chain efficiency, and ensure the development of a more sustainable and competitive agricultural sector,' DOSM said in a statement. Checks on the MyAgroPrice platform revealed that it is currently at the testing stage and only lists one item. But DOSM officials say that when it is fully ready, it will contain a whole range of products under categories that include grains, vegetables, seafood and meats. MyAgroPrice will list the prices at the district level and consumers will be able to compare the cost of items among different states. 'MyAgroPrice is an innovation that provides information on the level and changes in the prices of selected agricultural products that can be used by consumers for consumption decisions. 'In addition, policymakers can use price information on the MyAgroPrice platform to determine appropriate interventions for supply security and prices of agricultural products,' it added. MyAgroPrice and other data from the census can be accessed at
New Straits Times
6 days ago
- Business
- New Straits Times
Malaysia to conduct agriculture census every 10 years
SERDANG: The Agriculture Census will now be conducted every 10 years to ensure baseline data remains relevant and aligned with current and future challenges, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof. He said the move will help strengthen the agricultural sector's data infrastructure. "With the 2024 Agriculture Census, we now have comprehensive and up-to-date baseline data for the sector, something that hasn't been done in over two decades. "This data provides a crucial foundation for evidence-based policymaking, enabling more accurate, inclusive and effective planning, as well as implementation and monitoring," he said in his speech at the launch of the 2024 Agriculture Census Interim Report today. Also present were Deputy Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Arthur Joseph Kurup and Chief Statistician Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin. The last time Malaysia conducted an Agriculture Census was in 2005. Fadillah said short-term agriculture surveys would also be carried out periodically starting next year to improve data availability and support continuous sector monitoring. Meanwhile, the 2024 Agriculture Census — conducted by the Department of Statistics Malaysia from July 7 to Oct 10 last year — covered households and business organisations involved in agricultural activities. It included food crops and commodities, livestock, fisheries and aquaculture, as well as logging and forestry. Fadillah said what was presented in the report was not merely data, but a symbol of the commitment and dedication of all parties involved. Touching on the findings of the 2024 Agriculture Census, Fadillah, who is also the energy transition and water transformation minister, said 458,395 individuals (45.4 per cent) of agricultural operators are aged 60 and above, while 326,287 (32.3 per cent) are between the ages of 46 and 59. Meanwhile, 224,147 agricultural operators (22.2 per cent) are aged between 15 and 45. "There is a need to rejuvenate the agriculture sector by attracting the participation of the younger generation in this field. "Without a skilled and competitive workforce among the youth, the goal of strengthening national food security and reducing reliance on imports will be difficult to achieve," he said. Fadillah urged all parties, including policymakers and researchers, to leverage the statistics to chart directions and interventions in the agriculture sector, especially in addressing national food security issues. At the event, the Agriculture Products Price Dashboard (MyAgroPrice) was also launched. It is another key initiative for the digitisation of the country's agricultural statistics. The dashboard displays average prices for 60 selected agricultural products across three key stages of the supply chain — farm, wholesale, and retail levels — by state, over a monthly time series from 2020 to 2024. MyAgroPrice adds value for farmers by providing accurate and accessible price information, helping them to better plan marketing strategies and reduce the price information gap among industry players. The dashboard plays an important role for policymakers to monitor price stability, identify market trends, and design more targeted interventions for the well-being of the people and the nation's food security.
Business Recorder
22-05-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
Q3: 2.4pc growth
EDITORIAL: Pakistan's economy rose by 2.4 percent during the third quarter of the current fiscal year (July-March 2025) as per the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics. The credibility of this metric is suspect, given that the projection for the previous two quarters have been revised by the PBS (Pakistan Bureau of Statistics): upgraded to 1.37 percent July-September 2024 against the earlier calculation of 1.34 percent and downgraded to 1.53 percent October-December 2024 against the earlier calculation of 1.73 percent. The in-house capacity to address important gaps in the statistics as per the first review documents uploaded by the International Monetary Fund on its website this Saturday past is being strengthened and 'efforts to enhance the national accounts continue with the PBS publishing quarter estimates of expenditure side for the first time in December.' The Fund further referred to a Memorandum of Economic and Financial Policy (read time bound condition) item that stipulates that 'Data collection for three major surveys (Agriculture Census, Labour Force Survey and Household Integrated Economic Survey) is well underway and the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics will publish the final reports (and post the results to the National Summary Data Page portal) by end December 2025, which will provide a better basis to assess recent developments in key areas of the macroeconomic statistics, and for assessing the adequacy of social spending. Work on a new PPI index has also progressed, including on agreeing modalities with provincial statistics agencies for monthly data collection starting in July 2025. Preparations are also underway to conduct three major surveys in FY26: the Census of Manufacturing Industries, the survey of Small and Household Manufacturing Industries, and the Family Budget Survey, which will incorporate spending on online platforms for the first time.' Calculation of these statistics and the gradual improvement of the capacity to be more accurate and credible than has been the case so far would, one hopes, be used by the Ministry of Finance to take timely decisions rather than allowing an impending financial crisis to compel the administration to seek IMF support. Given the fact that we are currently on the twenty-fourth Fund bailout package disturbingly indicates lack of credible data to take timely decisions, a drawback, that many independent economists accuse successive administrations of purposely manipulating, but also the root cause of Pakistan's current indebtedness. The Fund in its report maintained that 'work on strengthening the Government Financial Statistics is continuing, with the establishment of a GFS team and agreement of a multi-year roadmap for GFS expansion and improvements, including transitioning to GFSM 2014 and incorporating state-owned entities' data.' Or, in other words, there is substantial work involved to strengthen the PBS but more importantly one would hope that the practice of exerting political pressure to manipulate data is abandoned. It is important to note that the growth of 2.4 percent for the third quarter remains suspect for two reasons. First, the administrative measures to meet the IMF condition of ensuring full-cost recovery of poorly performing utilities has raised input costs across the board, which together with tight monetary policy (11 percent discount rate remains higher than the regional average) accounts for negative large scale manufacturing sector growth. And the IMF condition to withdraw industrial incentives (export specific or more general) as well as federal and provincial governments no longer engaging in announcing a support price for some major crops is likely to reduce output next fiscal year. The major growth prospect remains the Public Sector Development Programme, which, historically, is mercilessly slashed as and when the authorities fail to meet the budget deficit target. The growth projection for the current year of 2.6 percent, revised from the earlier estimate of 3.2 percent, by the Fund requires an overambitious growth target in the last quarter, given that the first quarter target is estimated at 1.37 percent, second at 1.53 percent and in the third quarter 2.4 percent. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
