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KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 220 projects have been approved under the Land Use Optimisation Programme in collaboration with state governments nationwide last year and this year, as of May 30.
The Agriculture and Food Security Ministry said the projects encompass crop cultivation, livestock, fisheries, agro-tourism, and capacity-building for farmers, planters, fishermen and breeders.
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"Through Budget 2025, the Federal Government has allocated RM300mil to execute various agricultural development initiatives in partnership with state governments.
"This programme includes improving, upgrading and carrying out agricultural activities on land which is under the joint jurisdiction of state governments and the ministry,” it said in a statement on Friday (June 20).
The matter was announced at the first meeting of the Agriculture and Food Security Minister with state agriculture executive councillors for this year in Putrajaya on Thursday (June 19).
The meeting also discussed a proposal for the official handover of 51 National Satellite Farm complexes built by the Veterinary Services Department using federal funds on state-owned land in Negri Sembilan, Johor and Perak.
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"This move aims to streamline the leasing and maintenance of immovable assets by the respective state authorities in a lawful and organised manner.
"The meeting agreed that the handover would resolve issues of unclear asset ownership and enable state governments to manage and maintain the assets more systematically, ensuring the continuity of livestock operations and optimal use of existing infrastructure,” the statement read.
Meanwhile, on the role of state executive councillors addressing "grey areas" in rice bowl zones, one of the proposals raised was to transfer assets with unclear ownership to the state or district Irrigation and Drainage Department (DID), to ensure more efficient and effective padi field irrigation management.
"This effort is expected to resolve overlapping responsibilities between the Integrated Agriculture Development Area and DID, thereby streamlining infrastructure management and boosting national padi production,” the statement added.
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Meanwhile, state governments are encouraged to leverage data from the 2024 Interim Agricultural Census and the Integrated Agricultural Statistics System (TaniStats) to formulate more focused and high-impact policies, strategies and development plans for the agri-food sector at the state level, it said.
"The meeting also noted the urgent need for strategic action to address cross-border livestock smuggling along the Malaysia-Thailand border, to safeguard the sector from disease threats and ensure its continued competitiveness,” the statement read.
The meeting was a platform for policy coordination, information sharing and aligning commitments between the Federal and state governments to drive a more integrated agri-food development agenda. – Bernama
