FARMERS URGED TO GIVE FEEDBACK TO MINISTRY

SHAH ALAM (Malaysia), Aug 18 (Bernama) -- Apart from increasing agricultural
produce, the farmers area organisations must also give feedback to the
agriculture and agro-based industry ministry on the effectiveness of government
programmes.

As most of the 711,000 organisation members nationwide received aid and
subsidies from the government, minister Noh Omar said it was imperative
they impart such information.

He hoped the organisation would inform the ministry, should any of its
members receive sub-standard aid or those deemed non-beneficial.

Noh said this when launching the 32nd state of Selangor Farmer's
Organisation general meeting here Tuesday.

He said the ministry had cancelled the contract of a fertiliser supplier
after having received complaints from customers.

Thus, it showed the ministry administered an open policy which could
be modified to benefit the people, in line with the concept 'People First,
Performance Now', he added.

The minister urged the organisation to work with the private sector to find
a market for its members through 'contract farming', adding that it did not
require much land and that members could plant around their homes.

In northern city of IPOH, the Perak Government has approved 800ha of land
for 18 farmers area organisations which did not have land to carry out
commodity-based agriculture projects.

Northern state of Perak Chief Minister Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir said the
organisations were asked to cooperate with the state agriculture office for that
purpose.

He said the 18 organisations would be given land for farming to enable
members to benefit from farming projects.

The chief minister was speaking at a news conference after officiating the
state farmers associations.
-- BERNAMA