SHAH ALAM, Sept 28 — The lack of agricultural land has driven the state government to focus on high-value crops that could contribute to economic development.
State executive councillor for infrastructure and agriculture Dato’ Izham Hashim said the approach, launched a few years ago, has proven its worth as farmers are raking in higher incomes compared with using conventional methods.
“Among the reasons we are focusing on high-value agriculture is the lack of land or sites. Like for hydroponics, you need space.
“If the land area is the same, high-value modern agriculture yields could be threefold the yields from conventional methods. This would help farmers gain high income, like in MeloSel and Nanas MD2,” he said after launching Selangor Agrofest at the Shah Alam Stadium Carnival Square, which ends today.
Izham said the state government is emphasising seeding and cultivation to support the agriculture sector’s growth.
The effort is backed by the Agriculture and Food Security Ministry (MAFS), which has channelled nearly RM30 million to help agripreneurs fulfil the criteria for high-value agriculture projects.
“Next year, we will expand it to include more high-value crops such as vanilla and J33 jackfruit. This effort is sure to increase Selangor farmers’ income even further,” Izham added.
