2023 Budget: MAFI hopes to get bigger allocation to ensure continuity of country's food supply

KEPALA BATAS: The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry (MAFI) hopes for a bigger allocation under the 2023 Budget for it to continue with the various programmes aimed at ensuring the continuity of the country's food supply.

Its minister, Datuk Seri Dr Ronald Kiandee, said the reason being MAFI is one of the important ministries, especially in guaranteeing the security of food supply in the country.

"Programmes need to be implemented continuously, apart from outlining new programmes to ensure active production of food supplies.

"All of these require continuous funding and MAFI hopes that the Ministry of Finance will see this as something that needs to be prioritised and to increase MAFI's allocation in the 2023 Budget that will be tabled on Oct 7," he told reporters after opening the Penang farmers' Organisation annual general meeting today.

Earlier in his speech, he said one of the efforts in agricultural development implemented by the government through the Muda Agricultural Development Authority (MADA) was the planting of five crops in two years by its padi farmers.

He said a pilot programme, involving 1,220 hectares, would be carried out and is expected to increase the income of 628 padi farmers by 25 per cent compared to the income they received by planting the crop four times in two years.

"These efforts are in line with the government's manifestation and commitment to continue empowering the padi farmers and the Farmers' Organisation to become a competent and competitive entity in the country's agro-food sector," he said.

He said MAFI is also leading the Industrial Revolution 4.0 (IR 4.0) to modernise the country's agro-food sector in line with the National Agro-Food Policy 2021-2030 (DAN 2.0) to ensure the sector remains sustainable in facing the challenges of globalisation and competition in the open market.

The current challenges of globalisation also require the country to increase productivity and reduce production costs, particularly through the adaptation of IR4.0 technology and innovation in the country's agro-food sector, he added.

As such, he called on the network of Farmers' Organisations throughout the country to constantly enhance innovation by exploring new and modern agricultural technologies to help farmers increase their output.

-- BERNAMA