MAFI to play facilitative role to ensure successful implementation of PEMULIH

MUAR: The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industries (MAFI) will continue to play a facilitative role in ensuring the successful implementation of all initiatives under the National People's Well-Being and Economic Recovery Package.

Its Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ronald Kiandee said the targeted assistance provided under PEMULIH, which was announced by Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin yesterday, would continue to help the people, including those involved in the agro-food sector to cope with the impact of COVID-19.

"The initiatives can also help those who are directly affected by the pandemic, especially small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and the B40 group to recover and keep their business viable by continuing to contribute to the country's agro-food industry.

"In fact, the Agrobank Microcredit Financing Scheme can be utilised to assist those affected restart their business and provide business capital to those who want to venture into the agro-food sector," he said in a statement here today.

Ronald said the initiative to empower agro-entrepreneurs, especially in rural areas, to use the latest technology under the Agriculture Sector Digitalisation and Transformation programme was also in line the adoption of the fourth industrial revolution (IR 4.0) technology in the agricultural sector.

He said that the Shop Malaysia Online and Go-eCommerce Onboarding campaigns would be continued, targeting more than 300,000 micro traders, including agro-food entrepreneurs to shift to online business and use e-cash system to penetrate wider markets.

Yesterday, the government announced PEMULIH worth RM150 billion which includes government's direct fiscal injection of RM10 billion, aimed at providing comprehensive assistance to the people, apart from continuing the microcredit financing programme with an additional fund of up to RM1.1 billion to continue supporting micro businesses.

Meanwhile, Ronald said MAFI would implement various agricultural development projects including the Organic Agriculture Project and Community Garden Program (Kebuniti) worth RM1 million and the Organic Agriculture Project worth RM500,000 which will benefit the people in the Pagoh area.

Earlier, he handed over 1,000 boxes of food under the MAFI Prihatin programme through the Malaysian Pineapple Industry Board (LPNM) to residents affected by the COVID-19 pandemic as well as frontliners at the Pagoh Sports Complex vaccination centre, here.

"The MAFI Prihatin programme is an initiative launched since January this year to help those affected by the pandemic that hit the country," he said.

-- BERNAMA