KOTA BHARU: The floriculture industry brought in RM417.3 million through exports in 2021, says Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food Industry I Datuk Seri Ahmad Hamzah.
He said this is a jump compared to RM403.0 million in the previous year, adding that orchids were a major contributor as they are a high-value product with a concentrated market demand.
In 2021, Ahmad said that the national flower production was estimated at 414 million cuttings or vases valued at RM270 million.
He said the agenda to increase export and targeted products, such as increasing market growth and development of high value products were among the strategies focused on in the National Agro-Food Policy 2.0.
"Hence, the growing demand of the floriculture industry in the global market will definitely provide an opportunity for local producers to continue to explore and develop new market opportunities.
"This will further drive the country's economic growth in terms of income generation, and provide an positive spillover effects to various other sectors," he said when opening the Orchid, Flora and Herbal Festival 2022 at the Kota Bharu Rural Transformation Centre (RTC) here on Friday (June 3) night.
Also present were the State Agriculture, Agro-based Industry, Biotechnology, Green Technology and Environment Committee chairman Tuan Mohd Saripudin Tuan Ismail, Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry (MAFI) secretary-general Datuk Haslina Abdul Hamid and Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority (FAMA) director-general Datuk Zainal Abidin Yang Razalli.
On the Orchid, Flora and Herbal Festival 2022, Ahmad said it was the seventh edition and would close on June 12.
"The Orchid, Flora and Herb Festival 2022 targets about 300,000 visitors and a total sales value of RM3.5 million,” he said, adding that it involved the participation of 170 agropreneurs.
The program also aimed to promote the Malaysia Agriculture, Horticulture and Agro Tourism Exhibition (MAHA) 2022 to be held on Aug 4 to 14 at the Malaysia Agriculture Exposition Park Serdang (MAEPS), Serdang, Selangor. - Bernama
