MAFS exploring opportunities in seed research industry

SHAH ALAM: The Agriculture and Food Security Ministry (MAFS) is exploring opportunities to empower the crop seed research industry in the country to meet the challenges of climate change.

The ministry’s secretarygeneral Datuk Lokman Hakim Ali said there were now only five such research companies in the Asean region, including in Malaysia.

Lokman Hakim said crop seed research needed to be strengthened because soil conditions now were not like previously due to erratic weather.

“During the wet season, the soil becomes soggy, so we need seeds that are durable, mature and strong to cope with the situation,” he told reporters after officiating at the Central Zone Agrotourism and Agroyouth Tour here yesterday.

“We must continuously empower this activity by collaborating with local and foreign private companies to search for a strategy to streamline collaboration to develop capabilities and competencies in seed research,” he said.

Meanwhile, statistics on youth involvement in agriculture will be one of the five main focuses of the ministry and it will be constantly evaluated for a more structured direction planning.

“Through the implementation of the Young Agropreneur Programme in the 12th Malaysia Plan beginning 2021, a total of 1,495 young agropreneurs have received Young Agropreneur Grant with an approved value of RM29.8 million,” he said.

Lokman Hakim said out of the 1,495 young agropreneurs, 12 dropped out but those still in the programme are seen as capable of continuing the national agriculture legacy in the subsectors.

He added that the subsectors are crops (33 per cent), livestock (20 per cent), fisheries (8.5 per cent) and agro-based industries (38.5 per cent).