MAHA 2026: Nafas Seals Three MoUs Worth RM355 Mln To Strengthen Agricultural Input Supply Chain

SERDANG, Sept 1 (Bernama) -- The National Farmers Organisation (NAFAS) today sealed three memoranda of understanding (MoUs) worth RM355 million with three entities to strengthen the country's agricultural input supply chain.

NAFAS general manager Muhammad Faris Ariffin said the three entities are Australia's Phosphate Resources Limited (PRL), Selangor Agricultural Development Corporation (PKPS) and Universiti Malaysia Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah (UMPSA).

He said the collaboration with PRL, worth about RM225 million, involved reciprocal trade, with PRL supplying phosphate rock to NAFAS, while NAFAS supplies urea to the Australian company.

“NAFAS plays an important role in the country's agricultural sector, especially in the food security agenda, through efforts to secure fertiliser input supplies from Australia.

“As our country has no natural phosphate rock resources, NAFAS, which provides subsidised fertiliser to paddy farmers, is working to secure as much phosphate rock as possible as a raw material to process NPK (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium) fertiliser for paddy farmers,” he said.

Muhammad Faris was speaking to Bernama after the opening ceremony of MAHA Trade Day 2026, officiated by Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu, in conjunction with the Malaysia Agriculture, Horticulture and Agrotourism Exhibition (MAHA) 2026 at the Malaysia Agro Exposition Park Serdang (MAEPS) here today.

He said the MoU with PKPS, worth RM30 million, aims to assist the Selangor government through cooperation in poultry farming, while providing additional agricultural inputs to paddy farmers in the state.  

Meanwhile, the collaboration with UMPSA is worth about RM100 million and involves research and development (R&D), as well as the development of new patents to produce a type of prebiotic fertiliser, which was already underway as the MoU served to formalise the partnership. 

“If there is R&D from public higher education institutions that we see has high commercial value, we will assist, develop and try to commercialise the results,” he said.

The cooperation with PRL and PKPS had already been implemented under existing contracts, while the MoU signing served to formalise and broaden the scope of the ongoing business and collaboration, he said.

MAHA 2026, held from Aug 28 to Sept 6, is targeting at least RM8 billion in investment potential through the signing of MoUs and memoranda of agreement, besides RM58 million in direct sales.

The biennial event serves as a key platform for the country's agricultural sector, bringing together industry players, government agencies, entrepreneurs, as well as research and higher education institutions to showcase innovation, technology and business opportunities in the agri-food sector.

-- BERNAMA