Azmin: Idle govt land can be used for agriculture

PUTRAJAYA: Idle government land not earmarked for development would be identified for agriculture projects, said Economic Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali.

He added the Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Ministry (MoA) would study the methods on how to provide opportunities for farmers and smallholders to use such land to increase their income, and the country’s crop yields.

“According to preliminary information, there is much government-owned land that has not been developed till today, and there are no future plans to utilise them.

“Therefore, it is better for us (the government) to develop idle land for agriculture,” he told a joint press conference with his MoA counterpart Datuk Salahuddin Ayub after a strategic discussion between both ministries here yesterday.

In addition, Mohamed Azmin said the worrying food trade balance now, had forced the government to seek new potential in order to reduce the country’s dependence on imported food products, as well as to increase farmers’ income.

Explaining further, he said although food exports grew by 2.2 per cent last year as compared to 2017, food imports also increased by 3.5 per cent in the same period.

“This has led to deficits in certain sectors such as sugar and honey recording RM3.2 billion, meat and meat preparation also at RM3.2 billion, vegetables (RM3.3 billion), grains (RM3.4 billion) and livestock ( RM3.9 billion),” he said.

Mohamed Azmin said reducing dependence on imported food could be implemented in Malaysia if modern technology and new approaches were used to increase productivity.

“That is why MoA has suggested several immediate actions for cash crops, inter-cropping and integrated plants, and to use modern agriculture like hydroponics, aquaponics, fertigation or vertical farming,” he said. — Bernama