JOHOR BAHRU: Barisan Nasional (BN) will field at least 30 per cent young candidates in the upcoming Johor state election.

Johor BN chairman, Datuk Hasni Mohammad is optimistic that the move will raise the chances of BN winning in this election.

"I see that in general, Johor has many new faces including candidates who are below the age of 40 and at least 30 per cent (of those contesting) are young individuals."

He said this to reporters after officiating at a ceremony in Appreciation of Contributors to the Johor Agrofood Sector 2022, here, today.

Hasni said the full list of 56 BN candidates for the state election was now being finalised and would be announced this Thursday (Feb 24).

Earlier, BN Youth chief Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki reportedly said that more than 15 candidates from among the BN Youth leaders had been offered to the coalition's top leaders for consideration as candidates in the Johor state election.

Meanwhile, Hasni said the state government was now drawing up the Johor State Agrofood Policy 1.0 for the purpose of increasing the food output and number of producers involved.

He said that while the other sectors were showing a sharp contraction due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the agrofood sector was recording a growth of up to 3.1 per cent.

"Besides focusing on this sector as a new economic impetus, the state government is also in the final stage of drawing up the Johor State Agrofood Policy 1.0," he added.

-- BERNAMA