By : CHAI LI TIING
ALL THE components on our dinner plates that make up our daily meals keep us alive and going about our lives. Sustenance is one of the few things that ensures the continuity of life. Realising the importance of food, it is no wonder why human beings have, since the dawn of civilisation, developed the practice of agriculture to ensure a more constant supply of edibles for survival.
Defined as the practice of farming, including the growing of crops and the rearing of animals to sustain life, agriculture has been performed for some 10,000 years, according to studies, as societies then gradually transitioned from being merely hunter-gatherers.
In Malaysia, agriculture has played a key role in the country’s economy, even since the days of the ancient Malacca Sultanate where traders from across the globe sailed to the tiny, inconspicuous port of Malacca for the spices and other agricultural products that the empire had to offer causing it to thrive.
Agricultural activities had continued to spur the nation through its independence up until the 1970s. As the world welcomes a generation obsessed with modernisation, agriculture – labelled ‘the poor man’s sector’ – saw a brief period of neglect as emphasis was placed more on ‘high technology’ sectors such as manufacturing or information technology.
During the period of decline, between 1970s and the early 21st century, the contribution by agriculture to the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP) declined from approximately one-third to less than one-tenth. The proportion of labour force engaged in the sector’s activities likewise decreased from one-half to less than one-eight during the same time frame.
However, under the Ninth Malaysia Plan (9MP), it was stated, “During the Ninth Plan period, the agriculture sector will be revitalised to become the third engine of growth. The emphasis will be on New Agriculture which will involve large scale commercial farming, the wider application of modern technology, production of high quality and value-added products, unlocking the potential in biotechnology, increased convergence with information and communications technology and the participation of entrepreneurial farmers and skilled workforce.”
The announcement came after decades of overlooking agriculture. Many observed that interest in agriculture was resurging, fuelled by an understanding that growth in the sector played a major role in the overall growth and poverty reduction. It was also believed that through the application of technology and linkages to manufacturing, the sector could be boosted further, thereby improving the income of farmers and the general economic outlook of the nation.
“Failure in increasing the sources of food supply will lead to inflation and an escalation in food prices. As such, one solution to this threat is for us to strive harder so that sources of local food supply can be increased,” said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak, further affirming that the spotlight had been recasted on the underdog sector.
The government’s effort to boost agriculture in the country did not end with the 9MP, as it was identified as one of the 12 NKEAs under the Economic Transformation Programme (ETP) which was launched on September 21, 2010.
The ETP aimed to lift the country’s gross national income (GNI) to US$523 billion by 2020 through the execution of the 131 Entry Point Projects (EPP) under the 12 NKEAs. The ultimate aim for ETP for the agriculture NKEA is to transform agriculture into agribusiness, thereby moving the nation towards a model which is inclusive but simultaneously anchored on market-centricity, economies of scale and value chain integration.
“Through better infrastructure, management techniques and technology, we also target to increase the productivity in paddy farming, seaweed farming and temperate vegetables farming by more than 40 per cent. This will enable farmers participating in our projects to more than double the monthly income that they receive,” said Minister of Agriculture and Agro-based Industry, Datuk Seri Noh Omar as he highlighted the importance of agriculture under the nation’s master plan. (theborneopost)
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