FAMA Empowers Young Generation For Sustainability Of Agrofood Sector

KANGAR, Oct 28 (Bernama) -- The FAMA Agropreneur Tour (FAT) programme implemented by the Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority (FAMA) since 2023 has served as an important platform to empower the young generation and ensure the sustainability of the country’s agri-food sector, which is currently facing a shortage of young talent.

FAMA Deputy Director General (Food Security and Operations)  Faisal Iswardi Ismail said youth participation in the agricultural sector remains low, as the majority of agro-entrepreneurs in Malaysia are aged 60 and above, accounting for to 45.3 per cent according to the 2024 Agricultural Census Report of the Department of Statistics.

“This situation poses a major challenge to the country’s agricultural future. Therefore, through the implementation of the FAT and the Young Agropreneur Grant, FAMA is striving to produce more young entrepreneurs who are not only resilient but also capable of managing their businesses in a modern and innovative way.

“We want them to view agriculture as a professional high-income career as the sector has now become more modern with the integration of automation technology and the Internet of Things (IoT),” he told reporters after closing a course on Product Cost Calculation and Management Techniques Course held in conjunction with the state-level 2025 FAT here today.

Faisal Iswardi said a total of 24 FAT course series have been for this year, with Perlis being the 22nd location.

He said the course features, among others, sessions with related agencies such as the Ministry of Health for food labelling aspects and the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI) for product sustainability and branding.

He said that from 2023 to date,  a total of 2,197 young entrepreneurs nationwide have been produced under the Young Agropreneur programme, involving a grant allocation of RM50,050,808.06.

“Through these initiatives, we hope that more young people will join the agro-food sector and help strengthen the country’s food trade balance. This sector holds tremendous potential, not only for meeting domestic demand but also for expanding into export markets,” he said.

-- BERNAMA