PUTRAJAYA: Farmers' markets or "pasar tani" will be set up along highways to increase business opportunities for farmers and to meet consumer demand for cheaper but better quality food.

The Federal Agriculture Marketing Authority (Fama) has been in talks with the Works Ministry and the Malaysian Highway Authority to set up 11 farmers' markets along major highways by next month.

The highways are the North South Expressway (two markets), Elite (two), Kesas (two) and the Damansara-Puchong Highway or LDP (five).

Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Datuk Mustapa Mohamed said yesterday that the markets would be located at designated rest areas along these highways. Stalls will have to be set up before the markets can be operational.

Mustapa said the aim was two-fold -- to help farmers become entrepreneurs and to give consumers more choice of fresh food produce at competitive prices.
He said such markets were growing in popularity since the fuel price hike which had affected food prices.

"In the present climate where consumers are looking for savings, farmers' markets will become an attraction. Of late, we see that as the price of goods go up, farmers' markets have become more popular," he said during a visit to the Putrajaya Farmers' Market here, which operates every Friday.

Also present were ministry secretary-general Datuk Dr Zulkifli Idris and Fama chairman Datuk Paduka Badruddin Amiruldin.

Mustapa said the number of farmers' markets nationwide had increased over the years and there were now about 13,000 farmers and traders involved.

The ministry aims to set up 500 such markets by 2010, from the present 279 markets.