Latest news with #AgricultureCensus2024
The Star
29-07-2025
- Business
- The Star
S'gor to form policies to lure youth to farming
Amirudin: We must make farming a cool and rewarding activity to attract young people. SELANGOR is planning to introduce new policies and programmes to attract younger generations to farming, as part of efforts to bolster food security and ensure sustainability of the state's agriculture sector. Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari highlighted the necessity of this initiative, given that nearly three-quarters of the state's farmers were aged 46 and above. 'More than 75% of our farmers are aged 46 and above, with over half being over 50. 'We must make farming a cool and rewarding activity to attract young people,' said Amirudin. He said the upcoming state budget and Selangor's development plan would include measures such as training and support programmes to facilitate this transition. The Mentri Besar also emphasised the importance of enhancing national food security and promoting sustainable farming practices. 'Plantation operators are reducing the use of certain chemicals and excessive fertilisers while maintaining high and sustainable yields. 'For instance, Sime Darby Plantation's estate in Pulau Carey, Kuala Langat, records some of the highest oil palm yields in Malaysia. 'That is an example of good farming practices,' he cited. He said accurate and timely data was needed to enable swift policy adjustments. 'With more frequent and accurate data, we can make timely policy changes instead of waiting another 10 years,' he said at the launch of the Interim Report of the 2024 Agriculture Census for Selangor, held in Klang. The last agriculture census was carried out in 2005. The interim report revealed that Selangor has 37,117 agricultural holdings, of which 95.6% are operated by individuals and 4.4% by organisations. Last year, the state's agriculture sector generated RM8.8bil in sales, with crops contributing RM3.64bil, livestock RM3.16bil, and fisheries RM1.59bil. Chief Statistician and Agriculture Census 2024 commissioner Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin said the 2024 census was the first in 19 years to encompass all sub-sectors, including crops, livestock, fisheries, aquaculture, forestry, and logging – providing a comprehensive profile of Selangor's agricultural landscape. He highlighted Sabak Bernam as a leader with 9,296 agricultural holdings and the largest padi cultivation area of over 24,000ha, contributing RM220mil in rice sales last year, or 60% of the state's total. Mohd Uzir said the findings would serve as a benchmark for modernising agriculture and strengthening food security. Also present were Selangor infrastructure and agriculture committee chairman Datuk Izham Hashim, Selangor Deputy State Secretary (Development) Datuk Johary Anuar and Selangor Statistics Department director Hartini Yaacob.
The Sun
17-06-2025
- The Sun
Penang to launch raids on durian fraud hotspots, warns sellers against mislabelling
KEPALA BATAS: Authorities in Penang have identified several hotspots selling imported durians, particularly from Thailand, falsely marketed as the famed Balik Pulau variety. State Agriculture, Food Security and Cooperative Development Committee chairman Fahmi Zainol said joint operations involving the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM), the Agriculture Department and the Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority (FAMA) will be launched soon to curb such fraudulent practices. 'We've identified two or three hotspots where durians are brought in by truck from Thailand but sold as local produce. 'We're just waiting for the right time to conduct raids and issue compounds,' he told reporters after officiating the State Interim Report Launch at the Bumbong Lima Agricultural Training Institute today. Also present was Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) Chief Statistician and Agriculture Census 2024 Commissioner Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin. He said the enforcement followed public complaints and ongoing monitoring by authorities, including a recent roadblock at the Juru toll plaza involving the Malaysian Quarantine and Inspection Services Department (MAQIS) and other agencies to detect non-compliant agricultural products, especially durians. While durians from other regions are not banned, Fahmi stressed that sellers must not misrepresent them as Balik Pulau durians. 'We now have a 'Track and Trace' system in place since June 1. Every durian is tagged with a QR code that lets consumers verify its origin, from farm to table,' he said. He encouraged the public to report suspicious sellers and noted that most legitimate durian farmers in Penang have adopted the tracking system to boost transparency and consumer confidence.
The Sun
17-06-2025
- The Sun
Penang to launch raids on durian fraud hotspots
KEPALA BATAS: Authorities in Penang have identified several hotspots selling imported durians, particularly from Thailand, falsely marketed as the famed Balik Pulau variety. State Agriculture, Food Security and Cooperative Development Committee chairman Fahmi Zainol said joint operations involving the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM), the Agriculture Department and the Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority (FAMA) will be launched soon to curb such fraudulent practices. 'We've identified two or three hotspots where durians are brought in by truck from Thailand but sold as local produce. 'We're just waiting for the right time to conduct raids and issue compounds,' he told reporters after officiating the State Interim Report Launch at the Bumbong Lima Agricultural Training Institute today. Also present was Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) Chief Statistician and Agriculture Census 2024 Commissioner Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin. He said the enforcement followed public complaints and ongoing monitoring by authorities, including a recent roadblock at the Juru toll plaza involving the Malaysian Quarantine and Inspection Services Department (MAQIS) and other agencies to detect non-compliant agricultural products, especially durians. While durians from other regions are not banned, Fahmi stressed that sellers must not misrepresent them as Balik Pulau durians. 'We now have a 'Track and Trace' system in place since June 1. Every durian is tagged with a QR code that lets consumers verify its origin, from farm to table,' he said. He encouraged the public to report suspicious sellers and noted that most legitimate durian farmers in Penang have adopted the tracking system to boost transparency and consumer confidence.
Barnama
17-06-2025
- Barnama
Penang To Launch Raids On Durian Fraud Hotspots, Warns Sellers Against Mislabelling
KEPALA BATAS, June 17 (Bernama) -- Authorities in Penang have identified several hotspots selling imported durians, particularly from Thailand, falsely marketed as the famed Balik Pulau variety. State Agriculture, Food Security and Cooperative Development Committee chairman Fahmi Zainol said joint operations involving the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM), the Agriculture Department and the Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority (FAMA) will be launched soon to curb such fraudulent practices. 'We've identified two or three hotspots where durians are brought in by truck from Thailand but sold as local produce. 'We're just waiting for the right time to conduct raids and issue compounds,' he told reporters after officiating the State Interim Report Launch at the Bumbong Lima Agricultural Training Institute today. Also present was Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) Chief Statistician and Agriculture Census 2024 Commissioner Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin. He said the enforcement followed public complaints and ongoing monitoring by authorities, including a recent roadblock at the Juru toll plaza involving the Malaysian Quarantine and Inspection Services Department (MAQIS) and other agencies to detect non-compliant agricultural products, especially durians. While durians from other regions are not banned, Fahmi stressed that sellers must not misrepresent them as Balik Pulau durians. 'We now have a 'Track and Trace' system in place since June 1. Every durian is tagged with a QR code that lets consumers verify its origin, from farm to table,' he said. He encouraged the public to report suspicious sellers and noted that most legitimate durian farmers in Penang have adopted the tracking system to boost transparency and consumer confidence.
The Star
01-06-2025
- Business
- The Star
Age not the only factor behind moribund farms
The right help: With proper policies, incentives and technological help, local farmers will be able to produce bountiful crops to match major food producers like China, Japan and India, say agriculture and food security experts. PETALING JAYA: While ageing farmers are often blamed for the decline in food farming in Malaysia, experts argue that age alone is not the main issue, especially when countries like China, Japan, and India, which also have large populations of elderly farmers, remain major food producers. What sets these countries apart, they say, is the presence of the right policies and incentives that make growing food crops, instead of industrial crops like oil palm, a viable and sustainable livelihood. Their comments come in response to the recently released Agriculture Census 2024, which revealed that 45.4% of Malaysia's 1,008,829 individual farmers are aged over 60. The agriculture and food security experts said the key lies in policies that promote food crop cultivation using technology that makes optimum use of water, fertiliser and pesticide while being environmentally sustainable. They also stressed the need for federal support to incentivise state governments to allocate land for food crops, especially staples like rice. 'We need something similar to the policy that compensates states for not cutting down their forests,' said Prof Abd Shukor Juraimi of Universiti Putra Malaysia's (UPM) Tropical Agriculture and Food Security Institute. He was referring to the Federal government's Ecological Fiscal Transfer for Biodiversity Conservation programme, which allocated RM200mil last year for states to preserve key forest and marine areas. A similar framework should be applied to agricultural land, he added, because land used for food crops currently generates less tax revenue than land designated for residential, commercial or industrial purposes. Abd Shukor's remarks follow another key census finding: of the 7.5 million hectares of land used for agriculture nationwide, 6.5 million hectares are occupied by cash crops like oil palm and rubber. Only about one million hectares are used for food crops, with rice farming occupying just 500,000ha. The Statistics Department, which released the census, noted that the shrinking area for rice cultivation is affecting Malaysia's ability to produce enough of the staple grain. According to the National Agro-Food Policy 2021–2030 report, rice cultivation land has declined from about 700,000 hectares in 2018. The same report found that rice farmers operate on an average of just 3.48ha per person, far below the 10ha considered economically optimal. Prof Datin Paduka Fatimah Mohamed Arshad, another food security expert from UPM, said Malaysia could learn from India, which has emerged as one of the world's top rice exporters over the past decade, rivalling even Thailand and Vietnam. India, she said, achieved this despite not having large-scale agricultural schemes like Malaysia's Muda Agricultural Development Authority or the Kemubu Agricultural Development Authority. 'The Indian government supported tech start-ups that developed apps for the entire supply chain, from precision irrigation tools to sensors,' said Fatimah. 'These tools also help minimise risks from floods and droughts by predicting adverse weather to help farmers make better decisions.' Just like in Malaysia, a large proportion of farmers in India are senior citizens, she said, but this has not prevented them from producing good yields. 'With the right support and technology, they are able to make a sustainable living and thrive. So, age is not really the problem,' said Fatimah.
