Gopeng: Only 23.4 percent of youths aged 15 to 45 in Perak ventured into agriculture in 2023, said Chief Statistician Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin. He noted that individuals aged 60 and above accounted for 46.6 percent of those involved in the sector, followed by those aged 46 to 59 at 30 percent.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Dr Mohd Uzir expressed concern over the participation gap between the older and younger generations, highlighting the risks posed by a lack of young manpower, challenges in adopting modern technology, and negative perceptions of careers in agriculture. He shared these insights during the launch of the Agriculture Census 2024 Interim Report at the state Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority management building, Rural Transformation Centre in Gopeng. The event was attended by notable figures including the state Rural Development, Plantation, Agriculture and Food Industry Committee chairman, Datuk Mohd Zolkafly Harun, and Perak Department of Statistics Malaysia representative, Mohd Ridauddin Masud.

Dr Mohd Uzir emphasized the importance of revitalizing the agricultural sector in Perak to ensure its sustainability and competitiveness. He stressed the need to attract the younger generation to return to agriculture, not only as workers but as leaders in transforming the nation’s agro-industry.

In economic terms, Perak recorded a total agricultural output sales value of RM15.98 billion in 2023. The district of Manjung led with the highest sales value at approximately RM2.86 billion, followed by Larut Matang with RM1.97 billion, and Batang Padang with RM1.92 billion.

Additionally, Dr Mohd Uzir reported that the total cultivated area in Perak was around 497,000 hectares. This included 188,800 hectares under individual ownership and 308,200 hectares under organizational agricultural holdings. Hilir Perak emerged as the district with the largest cultivated area at 102,800 hectares, followed by Perak Tengah with 72,200 hectares and Batang Padang with 62,500 hectares.