State may open integrated wholesale agricultural produce market

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AN integrated wholesale market for agricultural produce in the state may be set up based on the Jiangnan Market in Guangzhou, China.

Minister of Modernisation of Agriculture, Native Land and Regional Development Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah said the Jiangnan Market is jointly owned by the government, private agro-based company and landlord, but managed by a private business entity.

“The centre provides trading areas, storage facilities, internal transportation services, quality control and other services for local farm producers and importers,” he said in his winding-up speech yesterday.

Uggah said the wholesale trading model practised at the Jiangnan Market involved wholesalers of different agricultural products.

He added wholesalers might have their own commercial farms but can also act as collectors of agricultural produce from other commercial farms or smallholders.

Uggah said the proposed market would promote a more competitive and sustainable market for agricultural produce, benefitting primary producers, particularly farmers in rural areas, and buyers.

He said its success would depend on the efficient operations of the collection, processing and packaging centre that would serve as feeders for agricultural produce.