Johor Bahru: Johor continues to strengthen its position as the leader in the agricultural sector when it successfully recorded the highest sales value of RM27.2 billion last year. State Agriculture, Agro-based Industry and Rural Development Committee chairman Datuk Zahari Sarip revealed that these sales comprised various sub-sectors, including crops at RM20.9 billion, livestock at RM4.7 billion, aquaculture at RM1 billion, and fisheries at RM7 million.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, this achievement not only underscores the strong foundation of Johor’s agricultural sector but also highlights the effectiveness of strategic planning and collaboration. The success is attributed to comprehensive policies and close cooperation between the state and federal governments, implementing agencies, investors, and entrepreneurs who are pivotal to the sector’s development.

Datuk Zahari Sarip expressed gratitude towards the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (KPKM) for allocating RM23.4 million to support the implementation of high-impact initiatives and programmes. He mentioned that the state government is currently developing strategies to ensure that agriculture and food security players are aligned with the rapid development within the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ).

Efforts include a series of workshops and engagement sessions designed to discuss protection and support measures for agricultural entrepreneurs, ensuring their relevance in the state’s long-term development plans. As an initial measure, Johor is spearheading high-impact projects such as modern agricultural ventures like ‘vertical farming’, in collaboration with a Singaporean company.

Datuk Zahari Sarip emphasized the importance of government support in protecting those in the agriculture and food security sectors from being left out of developmental progress. Plans are underway to attract investors to southern Johor under the JS-SEZ area, with incentives being considered to bolster investment in food security.