BUDGET 2019: Encouraging allocation for MOA

PUTRAJAYA: The Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Ministry has been given an encouraging allocation in Budget 2019 to continue to develop the country’s agriculture sector, as well as to increase productivity and income of farmers, breeders and fishermen.
The ministry, in a statement issued today, said it was allocated RM4.417 billion, with RM3.057 billion for operating expenditure and the remaining for development expenditure.
It said the increase in development allocation was to ensure the country’s agriculture, livestock and fisheries sectors would continue to be developed sustainably, food supply would continuously be saved and adequate and could be obtained at a reasonable price.
“Through this measures, MoA and its agencies, like Agro Bank, will get more capital to help farmers and fishermen in terms of financing and expansion of existing businesses," it said.
According to MoA, among the main focus of the agriculture sector, next year is research and development (R & D) to increase the productivity of seedlings and fruits, involving an allocation of RM47 million, while RM18 million would be for automation of agro-food industry.
Apart from that, MoA said RM52 million was allocated for implementation of entrepreneurship and agriculture training programmes, including to attract more young people to venture into the agro-food sector, with RM20 million allocated for the development of the Young Agropreneur programme, involving an increase of RM5 million in allocation compared to 2018.
The ministry said RM215 million was allocated to the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI), an additional of RM3 million compared to 2018, and RM98.5 million for the Fishermen Financing Incentive package.
"The Ministry still gets the government ‘s attention to implement and support people-centric programmes to produce more productive and viable target groups with R & D, technology and modernisation being emphasised along the value chain (from lab to table ) of the food sector, "it said.
The ministry described Budget 2019 as "expansionary" that would help it in ensuring its aid and strategic subsidies benefited the target group.
It is also in the final stage of reforming the mechanism on giving of subsidy and incentives to ensure the country’s padi and rice production. — Bernama