NGO wants action on low agri prices
Published on: Monday, July 15, 2019
By: Jo Ann Mool
PENAMPANG: Sabah Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Association (Pintas) will pay a courtesy call to the Chief Minister to submit a memorandum on uplifting the socio-economy of the farming community in the State.
Its President Mostajah @ Zunaidi Dullah said there were some matters they would like to convey to Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal.
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Among them are to get funds, support and assistance from the State Government to help improve the situation for farmers.
Mostajah said the memorandum would also suggest how Pintas could collaborate with the Government to help improve the lives of rural farmers.
“Our farmer community in Sabah needs to be taken seriously to address the issues they face most often, which were overlooked or perceived as small or trivial matters,” Mostajah told a press conference after chairing a meeting of the association.
“This little thing, if not properly addressed, will harm this group of communities and possibly paralyse the agricultural sector,” he said.
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Among the problems are the prices of agricultural products being very cheap and unreliable as well as prices being manipulated by middlemen.
“We need support from the Government to control the prices of farm products,” said Mostajah.
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“The agriculture sector is very important not only because it can help generate the country’s economic growth but also provide employment opportunities.
“The development of agriculture-based small and medium industries (SMIs) has been emphasised in the National Agricultural Policy in view of its potential in creating jobs and value-added opportunities to agricultural production.
“Despite government policies and initiatives to make Malaysia a global food production centre, the achievement of agro-entrepreneurs, especially Bumiputeras, is still low,” he said.
Mostajah added that a Pintas survey found that farming entrepreneurs admitted that their marketing management practices were still weak and based on their observations, farmers’ financial management practices were still unsatisfactory.
“The farmers’ attitude of being confused about cultivating a crop and an uncertain land ownership problem were among the factors contributing to this problem.
“Farmers in the State need monitoring or a body that can assist them in terms of advice to continue their work continuously from the planting stage to producing downstream products and marketing,” said Mostajah.
According to him, since independence until today there has been no surge in the achievement of the farmers’ socio-economy.
“It is too slow or lagged compared to the improvement or achievement of other countries in terms of new technology, farm produce and downstream products.”
Towards this end, Mostajah said Pintas has expressed some ideas to accelerate the growth of the farmers’ socio-economy.
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