Agriculture Ministry targets investments worth RM350mil in Dubai, says Ronald

KUALA LUMPUR: The Agriculture and Food Industries Ministry is targeting investments worth RM350mil during the Sustainable Agriculture Week at Expo 2020 Dubai, said its minister Datuk Seri Dr Ronald Kiandee (pic).

He said his ministry, as the host, would lead the week's theme at the Malaysia Pavilion from Feb 21 to 26, with the Malaysian Bioeconomy Development Corporation (Bioeconomy Corporation) as the implementing agency.

According to Ronald, the ministry was committed to achieving the investment target, among others, by fostering engagement and strategic partnerships with global players, especially with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and other Middle Eastern countries, to further drive sustainable agriculture for Malaysia and the world.

He said the ministry would hold 11 memoranda of understanding (MoU) exchanges, 50 potential businesses participation from 20 Malaysian Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), and agencies under the ministry during the week.

"This is an exciting opportunity for us to showcase the best agricultural practices, smart innovations, and rich resources that contribute to food security, wealth creation, environmental protection, and sustainable livelihoods," he said in a statement on Friday (Feb 11).

Ronald added that the expo would be a great opportunity to improve bilateral ties and trade between Malaysia and UAE through sustainable agriculture development and to elevate efforts to the next level.

The Agriculture Ministry was set to attract an estimated 2,000 visitors and delegates during the Sustainable Agriculture Week, with various programmes have been lined up, including exhibitions, product launches, document exchanges, cooking and product demonstrations, networking sessions, business matching, and pocket talks.

These programmes would be conducted based on eight focus areas that highlight Malaysia’s strengths in sustainable agriculture, including biodiversity to wellness, fruits of the tropical climate and its byproducts, smart urban farming as well as smart farming solutions.

Others included waste-to-wealth, culinary sustainability, cutting-edge agricultural technologies, and solutions, as well as investment opportunities for agricultural sustainability.

The public can obtain more information on the Agriculture Ministry’s Sustainable Agriculture Week at www.mafi-events.com. - Bernama