Ninth Plan Target to Revolutionise Sector

UNDER the Ninth Malaysia Plan (9MP), the main target is to revolutionise and industrialise the agriculture sector to make it more modern, dynamic and competitive.

It aims to increase the number of commercial and modern farmers, and fishermen, as well as agro-entrepreneurs who will form the thrust of the private sector-driven agro-food sector.

Traditional farmers will not be neglected. Their production capacity and capabilities will be enhanced so that they too can participate in this transformation process, and consequently boost their productivity and income.

The thrust of the 9MP policy

Development of the agricultural sector in the Ninth Malaysia Plan will be implemented based on the following basic fundamentals:

* Increasing agriculture production, including by venturing into new sources of growth with greater private sector participation;

* Expanding agro-based processing activities and product diversification;

* Strengthening marketing and global networking;

* Enhancing the income of smallholders, farmers and fishermen; and

* Improving the delivery system service.

The 9MP targets

* Generate growth of value-added as much as 7.6 per cent;

* Achieve trade balance in food as much as RM1.2 billion;

* Achieve growth in value-added for agro-based industry by 5.2 per cent; and

* Attract private investment of RM20.1 billion to commercialise food sector manufacturing and agro-based industry.

The implementation strategy of the 9MP

* Increase the production area for agro-food;

* Develop new growth resources such as deep-sea fishing and tuna, seaweed, ornamental fish and all kinds of flowers;

* Enhance agro-based industry;

* Diversify the revenue resource of the target group;

* Benefit the agro-biotechnology and marine biotechnology;

* Increase the marketing capability;

* Standard Compliance And International Quality;

* Loan And Incentive Provision; and

* Concentration on Total Factor Productivity

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