Johor reaps success as agri giant

The Star

2 days ago

JOHOR BARU: Johor contributed the highest value of agricultural output nationwide, with sales reaching RM27.2bil last year, says a state executive councillor.
Johor agriculture, agro-based industry and rural development committee chairman Datuk Zahari Sarip (pic) said the figure was based on the 2024 Agriculture Census presented by the Statistics Department.
He said the data was shared during the National Agriculture Exco meeting, which was chaired by Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu in Putrajaya recently.
'The meeting served as an important platform to align key policies and proposals to advance the agricultural and agri-food sector across the country,' he said in a statement yesterday.
The Buloh Kasap assemblyman said Johor's strong performance reaffirmed its position as a national agriculture powerhouse and a critical contributor to food production and food security in Malaysia.
Zahari also said the state government would remain committed to ensuring that the agriculture sector continues to grow.
He added that Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi has repeatedly stressed the need for continuous efforts to boost the sector as a key part of the state's development plan.
'As part of the Johor Budget 2026, we will focus on empowering the target groups involved, such as farmers, livestock breeders, fishermen and agri-entrepreneurs,' he said.
Zahari also said that during the meeting, he had raised the importance of food security within the broader framework of the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ) development.
Zahari said food security was a key focus area under the JS-SEZ initiative, adding that efforts would include promoting high-tech agricultural practices.
'Our goal is to scale up the production of quality and competitive agri-food products by embracing innovation and sustainable methods,' he said.
In recognition of Johor's role, Zahari said the Agriculture and Food Security Ministry has approved a special allocation of RM23.4mil for the state.
'The funds will be used to implement 20 programmes and agricultural projects throughout 2025, with the aim of accelerating development and improving farmers' livelihoods.
'The state government is grateful for the support and will ensure the effective and smooth implementation of all initiatives under this collaboration,' he said.
Zahari also said that he had called for improvements in disaster assistance management, especially for farmers, breeders and fishermen affected by floods and other natural disasters during the meeting.
He said that faster aid delivery would enable them to resume affected projects quickly and safeguard their income sources and output capacity.
'The state government will continue giving its full commitment to elevating the agriculture sector in line with the Maju Johor agenda,' he added.