High-value agriculture raises competitiveness, says Nor Yakcop

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MELAKA: The development of high-value agriculture (HVA) serves to enhance the nation’s profitablity and competitiveness in the world economy, says Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop.

He said there is a huge value in HVA investments because as the quality of life of more and more people around the world improves, there is added demand for more diverse types of food with higher nutrional and dietary value.

“Local development of HVAs will be focused on higher value industries including bird’s nest, livestock, aquafarming, seaweed, herbs and spices, premuium fruits and vegetables, and fungi,” he said in his keynote address at the Business Transformational Leaders Conference at the Melaka International Trade Centre (MITC) here yesterday.

The conference attracted more than 200 delegates and speakers from seven countries.

Nor Mohamed said it is expected that the development of HVA in Malaysia would create jobs and increase local and foreign business investment opportunities in the country.

“In addition, immersion in HVA activities would enable an increase in farming revenues and maximise the output of existing resources,” he said.

Also being held at MITC is the 1st Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East Asean Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) and Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle (IMT-GT) Consumer Fair, featuring food products, services and handicrafts from the sub-regions’ member countries. — Bernama