Serdang: The National Farmers Organisation (NAFAS) today sealed three memoranda of understanding (MoUs) worth RM355 million with three entities to strengthen the country's agricultural input supply chain. NAFAS general manager Muhammad Faris Ariffin announced the agreements with Australia's Phosphate Resources Limited (PRL), Selangor Agricultural Development Corporation (PKPS), and Universiti Malaysia Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah (UMPSA).

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the collaboration with PRL, valued at approximately RM225 million, involves a reciprocal trade agreement. PRL will supply phosphate rock to NAFAS, while NAFAS will provide urea to the Australian company. "NAFAS plays an important role in the country's agricultural sector, especially in the food security agenda, through efforts to secure fertiliser input supplies from Australia," said Muhammad Faris.

Muhammad Faris highlighted that Malaysia lacks natural phosphate rock resources, prompting NAFAS to secure this raw material to process NPK (nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium) fertiliser for paddy farmers. He spoke to Bernama after the opening ceremony of MAHA Trade Day 2026, officiated by Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu at the Malaysia Agro Exposition Park Serdang (MAEPS).

The MoU with PKPS, worth RM30 million, is designed to support the Selangor government through cooperation in poultry farming while also providing additional agricultural inputs to paddy farmers in the state. Meanwhile, the collaboration with UMPSA, valued at about RM100 million, focuses on research and development (R and D) and the creation of new patents to produce a prebiotic fertiliser. This initiative is already underway, with the MoU formalising the partnership.

Muhammad Faris stated that existing contracts had already seen cooperation with PRL and PKPS, and the MoU signing served to formalise and expand the scope of the ongoing business and collaboration. MAHA 2026, held from Aug 28 to Sept 6, aims for at least RM8 billion in investment potential through MoUs and memoranda of agreement, alongside RM58 million in direct sales.

The biennial event is a key platform for Malaysia's agricultural sector, uniting industry players, government agencies, entrepreneurs, as well as research and higher education institutions to showcase innovation, technology, and business opportunities in the agri-food sector.