SHAH ALAM, July 13 — Selangor has allocated RM50 million for the Food Security Programme, which outlines five key measures.
Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari said the programme is one of the Selangor administration’s efforts to safeguard food security in the state, which is one of the three main aspects of the third phase of the state’s economic stimulus plan.
The measures in the programme include to expand agricultural areas, increase production activities, empower the Selangor Agriculture Development Corporation (PKPS), enhance agropreneur incentives and boost modern farming methods.
“PKPS will be the main force to move the food security initiative through agricultural projects by optimising the use of 300 acres of land,” says Amirudin while tabling the Selangor economic recovery package during the State Legislative Assembly sitting here today.
The state government had also introduced the AgroData initiative to balance the supply and demand of food products as well as to reduce dependence on imported goods.
Amirudin said 5,000 acres of land along the Selangor River network will be utilised under the initiative.
“This area has the potential to be developed as a warehouse to store food and agricultural products for Selangor and the Klang Valley,” he said.
He said the initiative offers the use of technology through the agricultural business cycle and that data collection of supply and demand of goods will be conceptualised through high-tech farming and the Internet of Things.
Meanwhile, Amirudin said Selangor will ensure the state’s agriculture products will be vastly marketed, including in the rural areas, via the Selangor Digital e-Supply Chain (Seldec).
Amirudin said effective digital platforms and delivery system would help strengthen the economy of the local people.
“The entrepreneurs now have the power to manage their own products, especially those in the rural areas, and this would bypass the cartels’ hold on the small farmers, which had resulted in many not receiving their fair share,” he said.
He said Seldec will collaborate with business development agencies, such as Koperasi Warga Hijrah Selangor Bhd, to bring entrepreneurs in rural areas closer to the digital platform ecosystems.
Seldec, which is spearheaded by the Selangor Industrial Corporation Sdn Bhd (SIC), was launched on June 24 and had aimed to create 7,800 jobs in various sectors by 2025.
The online marketplace has 395 entrepreneurs registered so far and targeting to have at least 1,000 entrepreneurs registered (with the programme) in three years’ time.
Earlier, Amirudin had tabled the state economic recovery plan with a total economic value of RM55.85 billion.
Previously, the state had allocated a total of RM413.9 million through the Prihatin Economic Stimulus Package to address the impact of the Covid-19 epidemic in the state.
