Terengganu picks 10 durian planters as ‘adoptive children’ of department

BESUT: The Terengganu State Government has picked 10 durian planters in Hulu Besut to be ‘adoptive children’ of the Department of Agriculture starting next year in an effort to explore new sources of wealth.

State Committee for Rural Development, Entrepreneurs, Co-operatives and Consumerism, Nawi Mohamad, said the planters had been identified and they also wanted to gain more knowledge in the commercial cultivation of durians.

“They will be fully guided by the Department of Agriculture to carry out the projects to cultivate high quality durians, especially Musang King, and make Hulu Besut among the famous durian production centres in five to 10 years,” he told reporters here yesterday.

He said this after officiating the Agro Challenge of the Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry (MOA) at the Paya Peda Dam here today

The two-day Agro MOA Challenge began yesterday to promote the Paya Peda Dam as a tourist hub.

Also present was the ministry’s Deputy Secretary-General (Development), Badrul Hisham.

The state government’s efforts are in line with the Budget 2018 presented by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to empower the agriculture sector with an allocation of RM200 million for new sources of wealth resources, including durian. — Bernama