Felda committed to supporting national food security policy

KUALA LUMPUR: The Federal Land Development Authority (Felda) has always been proactive in supporting the government's efforts including addressing food security issues, in line with the five measures to ensure national food security.

Felda's Strategic Department in a statement today said the agency planned to carry out a corn cultivation project on 3,700 hectares of land in collaboration with FGV Holdings Berhad to help solve the issue of sharp increase in the livestock feed price.

Felda will also boost the poultry industry through contract farms in collaboration with Ayamas Food Corporation Sdn Bhd with an investment of RM23 million.

"Felda has introduced various initiatives such as the Settler Develop Programme (PPP) in 2019 to diversify and increase the settlers' income through activities not based on palm oil and rubber," it said.

It also noted that the implementation of PPP projects has applied smart technology such as the observation, watering and voice activation systems.

In the same statement, Felda chairman Tan Sri Idris Jusoh said the agency's commitment to making the PPP a success was a big aspiration.

"This is not only to increase the income of Felda settlers and its new generation but also includes greater aspirations to help the national agenda through strong support for the success of the National Food Security Policy," he said.

In addition, this initiative helps to support this policy by increasing the self-sufficiency rate (SSR), thus reducing food import dependency.

To date, 8,543 PPP projects have been approved to be carried out individually and through the involvement of cooperatives and settler bodies to benefit 56,959 settlers and their new generation.

-- BERNAMA