Perak government is actively identifying suitable government land and expanding support mechanisms to encourage youth participation in modern agriculture, including smart farming, fertigation and hydroponic projects.
State agriculture committee chairman Datuk Mohd Zolkafly Harun said limited access to suitable and economically viable land remained one of the main challenges for young people entering the agricultural sector.
To address this, he said the state was working with district and land offices as well as technical agencies to identify government-owned land that could be developed into modern agricultural project sites.
“High intensity farming methods such as fertigation and hydroponics are being promoted, as these approaches require smaller land areas and can be implemented in modular and phased systems.
“These projects can also be carried out on existing agricultural land, idle land and urban farming spaces,” he said during the Perak State Assembly sitting at Bangunan Perak Darul Ridzuan yesterday.
Mohd Zolkafly said this in response to Salina Samsudin (BN-Behrang) who asked if the state government provided designated sites or a land bank to help youth start modern agricultural projects.
With the uncertain global climate now, she asked how the state planned to attract youth to venture into modern agricultural sectors such as fertigation, hydroponics and smart farming.
Mohd Zolkafly said the state government had been focusing on five initiatives, including modernising agriculture through technology adoption, providing financing and start-up support for youth and enhancing agriculture as a competitive income source.
He added that strengthening agro-marketing systems and entrepreneur development as well as reshaping perceptions to position agriculture as a viable future career for young people, were being carried out.
Mohd Zolkafly said collaboration with agencies such as Agriculture Department, Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority and Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute continued to provide land access as well as training, technical support and start-up assistance for young agropreneurs.
“These initiatives are part of Perak’s broader effort to strengthen youth involvement in agriculture as a sustainable and competitive career path, while reinforcing long-term food security for the state and nation,” he added.
