CHAPTER 9: APPROACHES TO AGRICULTURAL MALAYSIA DEVELOPMENT IN MALAYSIA

1. What is the good agriculture practice?

Good agricultural practice (GAP) are specific methods which, when applied to agriculture, create food for consumers or further processing that is safe and wholesome. While there are numerous competing definitions of what methods constitute good agricultural practice there are several broadly accepted schemes that producers can adhere to. The objective of these GAP codes, standards and regulations include, to a varying degree:

• ensuring safety and quality of produce in the food chain
• capturing new market advantages by modifying supply chain governance
• improving natural resources use, workers health and working conditions, and/or
• creating new market opportunities for farmers and exporters in developing countries.

characteristic of Good Agricultural Practice.

How to apply Good Agricultural Practice.

As example, GLOBALG.A.P. today is the world's leading farm assurance program, translating consumer requirements into Good Agricultural Practice in a rapidly growing list of countries . Which are offering 3 main certification products named localg.a.p, GLOBALG.A.P. and GLOBALG.A.P.+ Add-on:

• GLOBALG.A.P. offers 16 standards for 3 scopes: Crops, Livestock, and Aquaculture
• localg.a.p. and GLOBALG.A.P.+ Add-on offer programs for developing customized solutions for our members.

2.ORGANIC FARMING.

Organic farming is a method of crop and livestock production that involves much more than choosing not to use pesticides, fertilizers, genetically modified organisms, antibiotics and growth hormones.

Organic production is a holistic system designed to optimize the productivity and fitness of diverse communities within the agro-ecosystem, including soil organisms, plants, livestock and people. The principal goal of organic production is to develop enterprises that are sustainable and harmonious with the environment.

The general principles of organic production, from the Canadian Organic Standards (2006), include the following:

• protect the environment, minimize soil degradation and erosion, decrease pollution, optimize biological productivity and promote a sound state of health
• maintain long-term soil fertility by optimizing conditions for biological activity within the soil
• maintain biological diversity within the system
• recycle materials and resources to the greatest extent possible within the enterprise
• provide attentive care that promotes the health and meets the behavioural needs of livestock
• prepare organic products, emphasizing careful processing, and handling methods in order to maintain the organic integrity and vital qualities of the products at all stages of production
• rely on renewable resources in locally organized agricultural systems

3.ECONOMIC TRANSFORMATION PROGRAMME (ETP)

1. 1)      Initiative by the Malaysian government to make Malaysia into high income by year 2020.
2. 2)      Managed by Performance Management and Delivery Unit (PEMANDU).
3. 3)      It is projected that Malaysia will be able to achieve the target set.

NATIONAL KEY ECONOMIC AREAS (NKEA)

1. 1)      The NKEA is the key driver to the success of this program as such as activities have the potential to contribute significantly to the growth of the economy of Malaysia.
2. 2)      131 entry point project (EPP) identified under NKEA.
3. 3)      The economic activities that are categorized as NKEA will be prioritized in government planning and funds will be collected.
4. 4)      The two of them  touch on the agriculture sector : The Palm Oil NKEA and the Agriculture NKEA

 

Palm Oil NKEA
1)      Palm oil related EPPs will focus on stream productivity and downstream expansion.
2)      These EPPs will focus on replanting of aging oil palms, mechanizing plantation, stringently best practice to enhance yields, implementing strict quality control to enhance oil extraction, and developing biogas facilities at palm mills to capture the methane released during milling.

AGRICULTURE NKEA
1)      The Agriculture targets the creation of 74,000 job opportunities and to increase the income of formers by 2 to 4 times.
2)      The largest sources of multiplier effect on the Agriculture NKEA are the Palm Oil and Wholesale and Retail NKEAs, estimated to contribute 37% and 27% respectively.

EPPs under agriculture

EPP 1: unlocking value from Malaysia’s biodiversity through high-value herbal products

EPP 2: Expanding the production of swiftlet nests

EPP 3: Venturing into commercial-scale seaweed farming in Sabah

EPP 4: Farming through integrated cage aquaculture systems

EPP 5: Rearing cattle in oil palm estates

EPP 6: Replicating integrated aquaculture model (IZAQs) to tap the market for premium shrimp.

EPP 7: Upgrading capabilities to produce fruit and vegetable for premium markets.

EPP 8: Strengthening export capabilities of the processed food industry through an integrated processed food park

EPP 9: Introducing fragrant rice variety for non-irrigated areas

EPP 10: Scaling up, and strengthening productivity of paddy farming in the Muda area

EPP 11: Scaling up, strengthening paddy farming productivity in other areas

EPP 12: Strengthening current anchor companies in cattle feedlots

EPP 13: Partnering with a large foreign dairy company to establish dairy clusters

EPP 14: Establishing a leadership position in regional breeding services

EPP 15: Securing foreign direct investment in agriculture biotechnology

EPP 16: Investing in a foreign cattle farming company