Chillies harvested from Agromix in Mukim Sermin, Segamat.
Project involving 11 farmers aims to boost their monthly income, country’s supply
THE country’s self-sufficiency ratio (SSR) received a boost with the opening of a chilli fertigation farm in Mukim Sermin, Segamat, says Johor agriculture, agro-based industry, and rural committee chairman Datuk Zahari Sarip.
SSR refers to the percentage of food consumed and produced domestically.
Zahari said the farm, known as Agromix, was opened in September last year with a starting capital of RM450,000.
“It was built on 2ha of land involving 11 farmers trained under Grasicili Farm Sdn Bhd.
“It is part of Inisiatif Pendapatan Rakyat (IPR), introduced by Economy Ministry and managed by East Coast Economic Region Development Council (ECERDC).
“The goal is to help these farmers gain a monthly income of RM2,000 through cluster farming based on smart technologies,” he said when contacted.
Zahari (white shirt) with freshly harvested chillies during his visit to the farm, which is part of a cluster farming project.
Zahari, who had visited the farm earlier, said it was one of the high-impact projects introduced by the Federal Government in Segamat.
“ECERDC has carried out various socioeconomic development programmes for the people.
“We hope to expand this project so that farmers can increase their income.
“The project is also in line with Johor government’s aim of turning the state into an export hub for fruits and vegetables, not only to Singapore but other countries as well,” he added.
Zahari said Johor’s fruit production for nationwide consumption comprised 34.5% of the total last year, making it the second largest producer after Pahang.
“We are confident that Johor can help reduce the country’s dependence on imported chillies.
“This is why collaboration between the state and Federal governments under ECERDC is important for new farming technologies and techniques.”
This was in line with the National Food Security Policy Action Plan 2021-2025 and National Agri-Food Policy 2021-2030, added Zahari.
