Visitors check out the cows in a open exhibition area.
KOTA SAMARAHAN: Youths have been encouraged to venture into agriculture to ensure that the sector would continue to flourish in tandem with the advancement in technology.
National Fisherman Association chairman Dato Mohamad Dolmat said there were many programmes slated for attracting more young people to be involved in the industry.
“At the moment, their (young people’s) involvement in farming, breeding and fishing activities is still very low. This needs to be improved and enhanced,” he said before the launch of national-level Farmers, Breeders and Fishermen Day (HPPNK) 2015 at the civic centre here yesterday, where Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak officiated at the function.
Mohamad, who spoke on behalf of National Farmers, Breeders and Fisherman Associations, said the youths could be trained to become successful in the agriculture industry, as long as they were supplied with the right tools, knowledge and new technologies.
“I believe that they (youths) can compete globally in the future.
“Agriculture is a very important sector in the country. The government acknowledges the contributions of farmers, breeders and fishermen in supplying us with food source. This can be seen through the allocation of RM5.3 billion under Budget 2016for the Agriculture and Agro-based Industries Ministry.
“Indirectly, the funding will bring benefits to more than one million farmers, breeders and fishermen nationwide,” he said.
Mohamad also called on farmers, breeders and fishermen to set their target of going beyond catering for local consumption.
“They should also target on exporting their produce — this can be achieved by increasing their productivity through technology and also excellent management.
“Our farmers, breeders and fishermen should also grab every opportunity provided by the government towards increasing their productivity and the quality of their production. They can do this by joining associations relevant to their fields in agriculture,” he said.
This year’s HPPNK, themed ‘Agro-Technology as Catalyst of Transformation’, marked its 40th anniversary. The state last hosted the event in Kuching in 1987.
Meanwhile, six individuals and seven private bodies received the ‘Prime Minister’s Awards’ in conjuncton with HPPNK 2015.
The individual recipients are Saipol Azimir Zainuddin and Tengku Faridah Tengku Hussain (Successful Farmer Award-Man and Woman, respectively), Ibrahim Abdullah (Successful Fisherman Award), Mohamad Yahya (Successful Breeder Award), Kong Shian Pin (Successful Breeder Award-Fisheries), and Mohd Chukri Mohd Zahit (Young Agropreneur Award).
The organisations are Unit Peladang Tanjung Bidara Melaka (Successful Farming Unit Award); Permanent Food Production Park, or TKPM, Titi Gantong (Successful Commercial Farmer Award); Women Farmers Group, or KPW, of Larut Matang and Selama Districts (Successful Women Group Award); Buntal Area Fishermen Association (Successful Fisherman Association Award); Honeygold Enterprise (Successful Innovative Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Award); and Al Faiz Industries Sdn Bhd (Successful Farming Marketeer Award).
An artistic display made using agriculture products at the National-Level Farmers, Breeders and Fishermen Day celebration at Kota Samarahan Civic Centre.