KPKM Proposes Short-term Agriculture Censuses To Improve Policy Coordination

PUTRAJAYA, July 28 (Bernama) -- The Agriculture and Food Security Ministry (KPKM) has proposed that the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) conduct short-term agricultural censuses every two to four years to ensure data is regularly updated, enabling more effective policy coordination.

KPKM secretary-general Datuk Seri Isham Ishak said this follows the findings of the 2024 Agriculture Census, which provides comprehensive data not only at the national level but also at district levels nationwide.

“We have discussed with DOSM how future censuses can be implemented. For federal-level policymaking, we need long-term statistics over five to 10 years.

“However, for implementation at the state and district levels, data must be updated more frequently. Therefore, we hope DOSM can conduct smaller-scale censuses periodically, as large-scale surveys are costly,” he told a special press conference here today.

Isham said the 2024 Agriculture Census offers a comprehensive picture of agricultural patterns, including the number of farmers, types of crops and land ownership at the district level.

“We now have hyperlocal data. For example, in Senaling, Kuala Pilah, we know how many farmers there are, what crops they grow and how much they produce. This allows the state government to conduct gap analysis, and village heads can help make better-informed decisions to increase yields,” he said.

The 2024 census, conducted by DOSM, gathered data on agricultural holdings, including demographic profiles, crop yields, input costs, farm sizes, land use and ownership, mechanisation and technology adoption.

This information is crucial for formulating both short- and long-term policies and programmes to improve food security, productivity and the promotion of sustainable agriculture.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof previously said that short-term agricultural surveys would be carried out periodically starting in 2026 to improve data availability and support continuous monitoring of the sector.

Commenting on other findings from the 2024 Agriculture Census, Isham said KPKM plans to introduce a new farm management model that brings landowners and smallholders together under cooperatives or associations, allowing government assistance to be distributed collectively for greater impact.

Taking padi farmers for example, he said there are over 220,000 farmers nationwide, each owning an average of two hectares of land, but many still share farming machinery on a rotational basis.

“By grouping smallholders and consolidating land, productivity and income could be improved,” he said.

He added that the success of the proposed model would rely on accurate, up-to-date data, as well as close collaboration between federal and state governments and local farming communities.

-- BERNAMA