Almost 400 farms in state certified for good agricultural practices, organic farming

Kota Tinggi district agriculture officer Mohd Hafizh Hussain (centre) lifting the Anjasmara Ta’zim trophy for best performance alongside (from second left) Malaysia Agriculture Department director-general Datuk Nor Sam Alwi, Zahari and state Agriculture Department director Yosri Mohd.

Malaysia Good Agriculture Practices (myGAP) and myOrganic certificates will help farmers in Johor grow their business.

State agriculture, agro-based industry and rural committee chairman Datuk Zahari Sarip said to ensure food production met strict safety guidelines, the department introduced myGAP certificate for local farmers in 2002.

“The myGAP certification recognises local farms with good agricultural practices,” the Buloh Kasap assemblyman added.

Zahari was speaking after attending Johor Agriculture Department’s myGAP and myOrganic appreciation ceremony at a hotel in Johor Baru.

He also said the myOrganic certificate was created to recognise farms practising organic agriculture.

Zahari added that the state Agriculture Department was responsible for helping farmers earn the certificates.

“Many countries require that our food is myGAP or myOrganic-certified before we export to them.

“This means that having myGAP or myOrganic certification will help us market our produce overseas. In the long run, farmers will gain.”

Zahari added that from 2002 until 2022, a total of 1,555 farms in Johor received the myGAP certificate, covering 13,108ha of agricultural land.

“In 2023, a total of 383 certificates were given out with 369 farms receiving the myGAP certificates and 14 farms receiving the myOrganic certificates,” he added.