PUTRAJAYA, March 12 — The Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority (Fama) has registered 825 new entrepreneurs in 2020, taking the total number of entrepreneurs under the agency to 53,289, said Agriculture and Food Industries Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ronald Kiandee.
He said the increase in the number of entrepreneurs was in line with the implementation of development projects based on marketing and strengthening the supply chain.
“For example, as of December 2020, a total of 2,410 marketing outlets have been set up by entrepreneurs via programmes such as Agrobazaar Kedai Rakyat, Fresh Fruits Stall, Agrobazaar Rakyat and Agrobazaar K-Shoppe,” he told Bernama.
Meanwhile, he said the average sales value contributed through direct and indirect involvement of Fama and its entrepreneurs in marketing were RM3 billion a year.
However, he said in 2020, the cumulative sales value had dropped to RM2.08 billion due to the economic downturn.
Ronald explained that the closure of the farmers’ markets during the Movement Control Order period had also contributed to the drop in sales value, whereby only 75 per cent or 226 out of 302 locations comprising 4,204 entrepreneurs were allowed to operate.
This had forced 1,452 entrepreneurs to find other marketing alternatives, he said.
“However, online sales during the Covid-19 pandemic period has recorded a significant increase of 152.5 per cent with a total value of RM2.6 million in 2020 compared to RM1.04 million in 2019.
“The increase of RM1.59 million in sales value is a result of government’s encouragement on e-commerce business,” he said.
— Bernama
