By Norrasyidah Arshad
SHAH ALAM, Jan 24 — Grain maize cultivated by the Selangor Agricultural Development Corporation (PKPS) has received tremendous interest from small-scale farmers and industry players.
Its group chief executive officer Mohamad Khairul Mohamad Razi said the extraordinary demand can be attributed to its affordable pricing compared to imported maize.
“Recent news of our first-grain corn harvest has made rounds, prompting many farmers and industry players, especially those in Selangor, to contact PKPS to make purchases.
“Given the lower cost of production per acre, we are able to sell the produce at a more affordable price, between RM100 to RM250 per tonne cheaper than imported maize,” he said when contacted.
According to Khairil, PKPS is accelerating efforts to cultivate the remaining grain corn on a 258-acre farm in Kuala Langat.
The state agency has also initiated efforts to cultivate another 100-acre farm in Rawang to meet industry demand.
He said the initiative, in collaboration with the Rural and Regional Development Ministry, costs RM12 million, with RM4 million allocated for the Kuala Langat project and the remaining RM8 million for the one in Rawang.
On Sunday, PKPS successfully harvested 118 tonnes of high-quality grain maize for the first time, with the cultivation process beginning last year. The product was harvested on 42 acres of land at a plantation in South Kuala Langat.
The project aims to reduce Malaysia’s reliance on low-quality imported corn grain, thereby stabilising chicken prices in the state and enhancing food security.
