12,000 hectares in Kelantan, Terengganu to be replanted with corn

KUALA LUMPUR, June 16 (Bernama) -- The National Farmers Organisation (NAFAS) has identified 12,140 hectares of tobacco land in Kelantan and Terengganu to be replanted with corn.

NAFAS in a statement today said the switch is for food security to help the government reduce its dependence on imports of maize grain, one of the main raw materials in poultry feed production, to stabilise chicken prices in the market.

Through the effort, NAFAS also aims to capture 20 per cent of the poultry market in the country with  the production of 144 million birds a year.

“NAFAS' involvement in the poultry industry value chain will be implemented top-down through the Farmers Organisation (PP) network of three (other) levels consisting of 14 state PPs, 279 area PPs and almost one million farmers across the country.

"This effort should also create new employment opportunities and increase economic activities in the areas involved to raise income levels for the locals residents," it said.

According to the statement, Malaysia currently imports almost 100 per cent of corn or about two million tonnes a year from countries such as Argentina, Brazil and the United States.

NAFAS is however confident that through the support of stakeholders, the corn cultivation project for fodder can be implemented.

"This large-scale NAFAS effort can reduce the country's dependence on corn imports for animal feed which in turn can stabilise the market price of chicken," it said.

-- BERNAMA