University promotes agricultural expertise to local farmers

BINTULU: Universiti Putra Malaysia Bintulu Campus (UPMKB) held a mini agrofest at its Taman Pertanian Universiti (TPU) over the weekend to promote the university to the local community especially on its facilities, expertise and short-term courses particularly in agriculture and livestock farming.

The permanent secretary to the Ministry of Modernisation of Agricultural, Native Land and Regional Development (Manred) Datu Ik Pahon Joyik who officiated at the event congratulated the campus for initiating the programme which he said could act as a catalyst for the food industry.

Ik Pahon said the agriculture sector was very important to the national food security.

“There is no meaning in producing many doctors, engineers, accountants if the country and the state has insufficient rice, meat, fruits and vegetables for local consumption,” he said.

He therefore urged farmers to adopt the latest agricultural technology for more efficient and productive farming while urging higher learning institutions like UPMKB to help local farmers

in terms of expertise and knowledge.

“There are many things that we can achieve together with the sharing of facilities, information and a two-way agricultural knowledge between the higher learning institutions and the local farmers like what has been practised in Thailand, Japan and other countries,” he said.