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Steps to Improve Agriculture Production in the Country |
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Agriculture in Malaysia contributes more than 12% of the Gross Domestic Product
(GDP) and supports the country's economic growth today. Globally, more than 60%
of the world's population depends on agricultural yields that drive the world's
economy. However, our society still has a stigma that agriculture is a small
industry and that farmers are poor and living in rural areas. Therefore, the
conventional community needs to expand their thinking horizon so that progress
can be carried out, and we do not become like a frog under a coconut shell. The
agricultural sector in our country, which includes farming, animal husbandry,
and large and small-scale cultivation, has convincing potential if the harvested
yields meet certain standards. What are the steps that need to be taken to
ensure that the quality of the country's agricultural production is at its best?
The primary initiative to improve the country's agricultural production is to
link research institutions with agricultural industry players in the country.
The government has established various government agencies to manage the
agricultural industry in our country. For example, the Department of Agriculture
was established to manage agricultural programs, while FAMA manages agricultural
marketing affairs, and MARDI conducts special research on the country's
agriculture. However, we cannot see the synergy between these agencies in
improving the country's agricultural production. The Ministry of Agriculture and
Food Industry needs to be more proactive in finding mechanisms for symbiosis
between the agencies involved in ensuring that the country's agricultural
production is enhanced. Additionally, the presence of Higher Education
Institutions (HEI) that usually conduct research should be linked with local
farmers to solve problems, especially from the perspective of the quality of the
seeds.
In addition, the country's agricultural yields can be increased by improving
logistics facilities under the marketing and agricultural production network.
The quality of agricultural yields can be maintained if the process from the
field to the supermarket is emphasized using the best methods. For example, most
farms in Malaysia still do not have frozen cold rooms capable of maintaining the
freshness of vegetables and fruits after harvest while waiting for the
wholesaler to arrive. Furthermore, wholesalers and retailers use less suitable
transportation, such as lorries and vans that have no frozen cold room. When it
arrives at the supermarket and is displayed to consumers, the quality level of
the product has already decreased, resulting in a drop in price and no demand
from consumers. Therefore, comprehensive quality control of agricultural
products from the field to the consumer needs to be empowered so that our local
products can break into the global market someday. We can see our neighboring
country, Thailand, where their local farmers collaborate with local engineers to
produce frozen cold rooms at affordable costs that are suitable for the size of
production quantities of a farm there.
After ensuring that the agricultural ecosystem from planting to harvesting is at
its best quality, the next step is to formulate superior marketing strategies.
The organization of the Malaysian Agriculture, Horticulture & Agrotourism (MAHA)
at the Malaysia Agriculture Park (MAEPS) is a good and reasonable step to be
carried out from year to year. This is because it provides a platform for local
farmers to market their products and receive a good response from consumers.
In conclusion, improving agricultural production is essential for the country's
economic growth. The steps taken today, although giving small impacts, will
undoubtedly yield worthwhile results in the future. Therefore, the government,
research institutions, farmers, and all relevant parties need to work together
to develop the agricultural sector and break the stigma that agriculture is a
small industry for the poor. |
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