Ketengah produces nearly 4,000 tonnes of food a year

DUNGUN: The Central Terengganu Development Corporation (Ketengah) has managed to produce nearly 4,000 tonnes of food a year to support the national food security strategy recommended by the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri.

Deputy Rural Development Minister l Datuk Seri Abdul Rahman Mohamad said the food security assurance strategy implemented by KETENGAH began last year with a focus on three areas namely crops, livestock and aquaculture.

"A total of 508 agricultural entrepreneurs in the Ketengah region are involved in the food security assurance project with 269 of them cultivating vegetables and fruits using the fertigation method, poultry and ruminant farming (169 people) and aquaculture (70 people).

"For example, the broiler farm operated by the Peneraju company is capable of producing 790,000 chickens a year and contributing to 4.64 per cent of the total chicken production in Terengganu," he said.

He said this to reporters after presenting the Excellent Service Award (APC) to 29 employees of Ketengah, an agency under the Rural Development Ministry (KPLB), at Bandar Al Muktafi Billah Shah today. Also present was Ketengah chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Said.

Abdul Rahman said, Ketengah was also in the process of expanding the chicken farming project in three locations, namely in Kampung Chemuak, Kampung Durian Mentangau and Seri Bandi here.

"As a long term strategy to improve food production, Ketengah is working on planting napier grass (livestock fodder) in an area spanning 11 hectares at a cost of RM500,000.

"Ketengah has also built grazing grounds that can accommodate 613 ruminant livestock such as buffaloes and cattle on a 155-hectare site," he said.

Abdul Rahman also said that Ketengah would also submit an application to get an allocation under the Rolling Plan of the 12th Malaysia Plan, to conduct research and development to further increase the country's food production.

-- BERNAMA