KING LAUNCHES ‘AGROPRENEUR’ PROGRAMME
Firm aims to produce 1,000 farming entrepreneurs in a year
YANG di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Muhammad V yesterday launched the Agricultural Entrepreneurship Incubation Programme carried out by Ladang Sawitria Sdn Bhd.
He arrived at 12.20pm and was accompanied by Kelantan Menteri Besar Datuk Ahmad Yakob, state mufti Datuk Mohamad Shukri Mohamad and Ladang Sawitria executive chairman Tan Sri Musa Hassan.
Musa later said the company aimed to produce 1,000 agro-entrepreneurs in a year through the programme, with participants comprising mainly unemployed youth and the poor.
“We have received 1,212 applications, but for the first phase, we will train 67 participants — 45 are from Kelantan while the rest are from other states.
“Each participant will work on a 0.4ha land to learn modern farming techniques in groups, using technology from Taiwan,” he said, adding that the project would provide participants an estimated monthly income of up to RM5,000.
Musa said the company had leased 925ha of land in Mukim Mambong, Kuala Krai, from the Kelantan Islamic Religious and Malay Customs Council for the programme.
He said participants were provided with a bank loan of RM180,000, to be paid out in 30 years, to lease the land and build their homes in the area.
“They are given the facilities to market and transport their agricultural product.
“We hope to open the programme to prisoners on parole.”
Ahmad said the state government always provided opportunities for the private sector to carry out such programmes.
“It will be part of the effort in implementing the concept of food security in Malaysia and reducing our dependence on imported food.”