Future of agro sector rests on youths
Published on: Wednesday, June 26, 2019
By: Yayasan Dalimpos
TENOM: Youths in the district are encouraged to venture into agriculture as one of the means that can help increase income sources, said Tenom MP Noorita Sual.
The younger generation are the nation’s hope in promoting the agriculture and livestock industry that can produce food and provide a source of income, as well as continue to realise the existing policy of improving the food security sector and increasing incomes.
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She said the ministry of agriculture and agro-based industries continues to focus on the security and increase in income of farmers and fishermen in the development of food and crop sectors.
Meanwhile, the Ministry also helps to provide capital, facility facilities such as land and business premises as well as marketing to assist these groups.
“The youth entrepreneurs also received financing facilities through the Tekun Nasional venture capital fund (Tekun) and Agrobank businesses since 2014, in providing several loan schemes for agricultural activities,“Tekun provides loans of up to RM100,000 through three loan schemes namely micro loan scheme (SPM), small loan scheme (SPK) and medium loan scheme (SPS)
“Agrobank offers a variety of funding to help youths in the agro-food industry with a loan value ranging from RM30,000 to RM50,000.
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“While financing for small and medium-sized entrepreneurs (SME) entrepreneurs, the lending rates provided range between RM1,000 to RM10 million such as Fund for Food (3F), project financing, working capital, Trade Finance facilities, medium-sized industries and so on,” she said during the 41st annual general meeting of the Tenom area farmers’ organisation (PPK)-cum-Hari Raya Aidilfitri Open House at Datuk Seri Antanom hall.
On another note, she urge farmers not to be easily influenced by middlemen who have been making huge profits by purchasing cheap their products.
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She said that the government had allocated RM47 million under the 2019 Budget for seed, fruit and grain productivity research and development (R&D), RM18 million for agro-food industry automation and RM52 million for the implementation of entrepreneurship and farming programme training.
In conjunction with the event, there were also recognition for members and entrepreneurs of PPK Tenom who were presented with awards, certificates and hampers.
The district PPK Chairman-cum-event Chairman, Jefferi Ho Abdullah, said the 2-in-1 event was a sign of solidarity between farmers, leaders and the people.
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