KUALA LUMPUR, March 5 — The Agriculture and Food Security Ministry (MAFS) does not provide any specific subsidy to traders participating in the Agro Madani Sales programme to offer goods at discounted prices, the Dewan Rakyat was told today.
Deputy Minister Datuk Arthur Joseph Kurup said the programme adopts a direct sales approach without involving middlemen or third parties, enabling consumers to enjoy prices reduced by 10 to 30 per cent while also benefiting farmers and traders.
MAFS aims to hold 5,000 Agro Madani Sales programmes to achieve the overall target of 10,000 programmes for the period from 2023 to 2024.
In addition, the ministry and its agencies are implementing a number of different cheap sales programmes, such as the Rahmah Sales and Madani Cooperative Sales programmes.
“The difference between these sales programmes lies in the participants location, and capital. The Agro Madani Agro Sales involve contract farming participants from Fama (the Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority), the Farmers’ Organisation Board), and the Fisheries Development Authority.
“Whereas the Rahmah Sales involve retail traders, and the Madani Cooperative Sales involve cooperatives,” he said during the Minister’s Question Time.
Arthur was responding to Pendang MP Datuk Awang Hashim’s supplementary query on the differences between the Agro Madani Sales, Rahmah Sales, and Madani Cooperative Sales programmes, as well as the provision of subsidies for their implementation.
He added the Agro Madani Sales programme is conducted at government premises, farm produce collection outlets, and areas with a large population of B40 and M40, while Rahmah Sales take place in supermarkets, and Madani Cooperative Sales are held at cooperative premises.
In response to the original question from Sembrong MP Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein about the extent to which the Agro Madani programme can be implemented widely and continuously, Arthur said MAFS will implement it in various locations nationwide.
“The ministry will engage entrepreneurs and MAFS contract farming participants from the surrounding areas.
“Apart from that, marketing entrepreneurs produced through Fama’s marketing partner contract (RPKP) programme will also be directly involved,” he said.
— Bernama
