By Alang Bendahara
SHAH ALAM, July 26 — The Selangor government plans to gazette 2,000 acres of state land for agricultural purposes each year to address Malaysia’s food security concerns.
Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari said state agencies and state government-owned companies (GLCs) have been instructed to identify land that can be gazetted as farms.
“The new state agriculture policy, the Selangor Agro Transformation Plan (PeTA) was introduced to properly develop the agriculture sector by focusing on farming capable of bringing higher returns with modern methods.
“The State Executive Council Meeting has instructed for state land to be identified and gazetted for agriculture activities. The state target is to convert 2,000 acres of land for agriculture every year and we are actively identifying more land for this purpose,” he said.
Amirudin was responding to a query from Seri Kembangan state assemblyman Ean Yong Hian Wah on the development of idle state land for agriculture, during the Selangor State Legislative Assembly sitting here today.
He said GLCs including Menteri Besar Selangor (Incorporated) or MBI, the Selangor Agriculture Development Corporation (PKPS), the Selangor State Development Corporation (PKNS) and Yayasan Selangor have submitted the list of land that has been identified to the Macro Section Farming Modernisation Unit under the state’s Economic Planning Unit (UPEN).
Amirudin added that MBI and PKPS will soon develop 781 acres of land owned by MBI in Batu Arang, Rawang, in Gombak, for modern farming.
“Both companies have agreed to collaborate in implementing a high-technology agriculture project which will be supervised by state executive councillor for agriculture modernisation and agro-based industry Izham Hashim,” he said.
The Menteri Besar said Selangor has even looked beyond its borders for land that is suitable for farming, the latest being its grain corn plantation in Gemas, Negeri Sembilan, which has the potential to reduce livestock feed imports by two to three per cent.
Amirudin said the state government through PKPS as the lead agency for the project will also give permits to companies with the right expertise and capital to develop gazetted state land for modern farming.
