KPKM To Empower Kg Tanah Melintang Through TVET Courses To Boost Crop Harvests

KUALA PILAH, Sept 12 (Bernama) -- The Agriculture and Food Security Ministry (KPKM) is committed to empowering rural communities through the MADANI Adopted Village programme with an allocation of RM1 million from the government to the residents of Kampung Tanah Melintang here.

Its secretary-general, Datuk Seri Isham Ishak said the projects included preparing Technical and Vocational Education and Training courses on cultivating mushrooms and chili sauce production.

"Allocation is also used to build a village monument, tarring 300 metres of road, repairing roofs, installing solar lights and buying a hearse,” he told reporters after launching the MADANI Adopted Village programme here today, in the presence of Turkish ambassador to Malaysia, Tolga Ucak, Kuala Pilah MP Datuk Adnan Abu Hassan and Pilah assemblyman Datuk Noorzunita Begum Mohd Ibrahim.

Isham also said that besides government funding, the ministry received support from the Turkish embassy in Malaysia in the form of laptops, smartboards, sound systems and furniture for Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SK) Tanah Melintang’s computer lab.

“The Turkiye government has special ties with Malaysia. The embassy has donated about RM150,000 for the village to expand its access in digital skills among youth and expose them to the use of technology in learning,” he added.

Isham also informed that the ministry was implementing various strategic initiatives to develop the agriculture sector through the approach of community participation and making use of unused land, including in Negeri Sembilan.

A corn cultivation project in Juasseh, Kuala Pilah was the latest pioneer project that showed early success through consolidation of land and local community participation, he said, adding that Kampung Tanah Melintang had the potential to cultivate coconuts, corn and traditional vegetables such as maman.

“Even though maman isn’t for export, domestic demand is quite high. This shows that agriculture economic value doesn’t wholly depend on exports, but also strong local markets,” he said.

The ministry, he added, was ready to provide support in terms of technology, technical service, provision of seeds and fertiliser and advice to villagers to ensure their efforts could be done more systematically.

He also explained that concerns over marketing agriculture produce should not occur as the ministry had a support system including marketing agencies and harvest collection centres.

The ministry is confident that with the integrated cooperation between the Federal and state governments, as well as village communities, unused land in the country could be reactivated and become a source of national food security.

-- BERNAMA