BY: NAZLI IBRAHIM
MERU, SEP 26: The State Government is expected to increase allocation in the agricultural sector to ensure the Agro Smart Selangor policy achieves its target.
Infrastructure, Public Amenities, Agricultural Modernisation and Agro-Based Industries Exco Zaidy Abdul Talib said that among the approaches used in the policy is to increase modern technology for agricultural production.
“We are in the midst of drafting next year’s budget and so far, I can say that there is an increase in agricultural aid. However, it can’t be announced yet until the budget is presented,” he said during the Farmers’ Day Meet Customers and Incentive Presentation Day 2016 at the Klang Agriculture Office on September 25.
Although Selangor is an industrial state, Zaidy believes that agricultural production can be increased as exemplified by the Dutch.
He said that although Netherlands is a small country, it has successfully become the world’s second biggest food producer.
Besides officiating the Farmers’ Day and Meet Customers’ Day programme, Zaidy also officiated the Agro-Based Industrial Laboratory located in the compound of Meru Agricultural Centre.
The laboratory tests accuracy of methods of product preparation, and also houses a variety of equipment to process various foods that have commercialisation potential.
2017 budget for agriculture expected to increase
