KUCHING, Apr 17: The state Farmers’ Organisation and the Federal Agriculture Marketing Board (FAMA) have been of tremendous help to farmers statewide in selling their produce during the current enforcement of the Movement Control Order (MCO) due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah in a statement said both organisations through their respective units at district levels had helped to collect the produce and taking them to the markets to help generate income for the farmers.
According to Uggah, such efforts too had benefited consumers and had ensured the food chain supply remained intact during this crisis.
“For instance, the Farmers’ Organisation had, from April 6 to 16, 2020, bought a total of 13,462 kilograms of vegetables and 88,182 kilograms of fruits from farmers. These were done by its 17 area units at the various districts and they had paid RM36,984.63 for the vegetables and RM157,321.59 for the fruits.
“Similarly, FAMA too had done its part. During the same period it had bought 1,425 kilograms of vegetables for RM3,342.30, including 19,979.5 kilograms of fruits for RM40,884, and the two organisations would continue to help our farmers,” he said.
Uggah also reminded the local farmers to approach their nearest agriculture and FAMA offices if they had problems in selling.
In a previous statement, Uggah said that the state government through the state Agriculture Department had allocated a sum of RM1.5 million to the Sarawak Farmers’ Organisation to buy produce from the farmers through the Farmer Organisations in their respective areas, state-wide.
In addition, he said, a sum of RM200,000.00 had been allocated to FAMA offices statewide to buy the farmers produces and to organise the Pasar Tani.
At the same time, Uggah who is also the Minister of Agriculture Modernisation, Native Land and Regional Development added that the government had allocated a sum of RM600,000. 00 to the Malaysian Fisheries Development Authority (LKIM) to buy the fishermen catches.
“The above initiatives clearly indicate the Sarawak Government is most concerned over the welfare of the farmers and fishermen. They too are very significant players in our food chain, and thus we are coming up with these solutions for them,” Uggah said.
Meanwhile, the Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture Modernisation, Native Land and Regional Development Edwin Abit in his comment described that the two organisations as essential frontliners in helping the community in a crisis.
“This network of services across the supply chain which includes FAMA, is something we should be proud of,” he explained. —DayakDaily
