| Rokiah Mahmud |
THE four-day ‘Agricultural Enterprise Exposure Programme for Youth through Contract Farming’ will expose participants to contract farming in the hope of raising youth involvement in the agriculture sector.
This was highlighted by Hajah Aidah binti Haji Mohd Hanifah, the Director of Agriculture and Agrifood at the Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism (MPRT) yesterday during her speech at the opening of the programme at the Rimba Horticulture Centre, Gadong.
Hajah Aidah said that the programme is one of the initiatives by the Department of Agriculture and Agrifood in support of its 2016 – 2020 strategic plans.
The programme, she added, seeks to encourage more entrepreneurs to venture into the agriculture field behind the reasoning that the sector has the potential to be very lucrative, especially if contract farming is employed, where modern high-tech systems – capable of improving agricultural output – are utilised.
“Hopefully through the programme we can attract more youth to venture into agriculture…those that are more committed, progressive and productive towards increasing the country’s Gross Domestic Products (GDP),” Hajah Aidah said.
The programme, which runs until January 18, will expose participants to modern technology used in contract farming, investment opportunities in the agriculture industry, as well as an agricultural enterprise financial simulation.
The day also included a briefing by representatives of Syarikat Gropoint – a company that will purchase crops produced in this contract farming programme.
During the programme, the entrepreneur participants will be required to set aside a sum of capital and begin farming selected crops or vegetables according to the prescribed quality standards. Syarikat Gropoint will then purchase and market their produce at harvest time.
The programme is divided into two sessions: a briefing and site visits to a number of agricultural farms including Ameenfarm Agrotech and Trading, RZ Prisma Enterprise, Syarikat Econadi Agrobiz, DD Agrobiz, and Kanglin Hydroponics Farming.
Minister of Primary Resources and Tourism Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Ali bin Haji Apong was also in attendance.
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