KUANTAN: The Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Ministry will have discussions with Agrobank soon to find an appropriate method to make it easier for agro-entrepreneurs to get loans.
Its minister, Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said this loan facility was crucial for farmers and fishermen to widen their activities especially in the field of agro-food.
“The move is in line with the announcement by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak when launching the Bumiputera Economic Empowerment strategy in Shah Alam, Selangor on Saturday.
“It is the intention of the ministry and government to create more agro-entrepreneurs in the field of food production to fulfil the local and foreign market demand,” he said.
He disclosed this to reporters after attending a gathering with fishermen at the Malaysian Fisheries Development Authority (LKIM) Jetty here yesterday.
Ismail Sabri said that in addition to the meeting with Agrobank, the ministry also planned to hold meetings with the Tabung Ekonomi Kumpulan Usaha Niaga (TEKUN) to enable the fishermen to apply for loans from the agency.
“Currently, fishermen are not listed to apply for loans under TEKUN and it is hoped that after the meeting, there will be good news for the fishermen intending to expand their business,” he said.
In another development, Ismail Sabri said his ministry had stopped the granting of diesel subsidy to the owners of 208 fishing boats after it was found that these boats had been leased to Vietnamese fishermen.
In addition, the minister said, another 24 boats were being detained for further inspection on suspicion that the local fishermen’s licences were being used by foreign fishermen. — Bernama