SHAH ALAM: The government will enhance its efforts in encouraging the public to be involved in urban farming.
Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu said this will be among the efforts that the government will focus on via the RM300 million allocated for Agrobank from the recently-announced allocation of RM1 billion for Bumiputera micro-credit financing.
"We want to focus on urban farming because the Klang Valley has about seven million people and land is becoming lesser. That is why we need to encourage urban farming," he told reporters at the Agrobank School Funding Assistance 2024 event.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim recently announced that the government would allocate up to RM1 billion for Bumiputera micro-credit financing through development financial institutions such as Bank Simpanan Nasional (BSN), Agrobank and Tekun Nasional.
The announcement was made at the Bumiputera Economic Congress 2024 over the weekend.
Mohamad added that those who lived in flats can also reap the benefits of urban farming due to the flexibility of the activity despite the space.
He cited Singapore as a country that has adopted the urban farming culture and enabled those involved to sell some of the produce.
He also said developers like Sunway Group had initiated the activity and have gotten high yields.
Mohamad added that modern farming and agropreneur are among the career options that youths can take up to propel the farming industry, in line with the fourth industrial revolution.
The minister said technology usage in day-to-day activities is not uncommon for the younger generation.
"Technology expansion in farming sector should be a driving force for today's generation to participate in this sector.
"This aligns with what I have underscored whereby the farming sector needs to be upheld among the younger generation as one of the potential sectors that can bring significant impact towards economic growth," he said.