Historic Slim River Toll Plaza Transformed Into Agrobazaar Hub

TANJONG MALIM, Aug 8 (Bernama) -- The historic site of the old Slim River toll plaza has been given a new lease of life as Medan Agrobazaar Tol Lama, aimed at becoming a key collection and marketing hub for agricultural produce from the Muallim district and surrounding areas.

Since it began operating in February, the agrobazaar has recorded sales worth RM25,700, driven by a variety of fresh produce and agro-based food products sold at the site.

Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority (FAMA) chairman Aminuddin Zulkipli said the location now hosts four local entrepreneurs who sell various products daily. 

“We want to make this a central collection hub for agricultural produce from Muallim — whether from Batang Padang or Hulu Bernam — to be marketed to the north and south of the country,” he said at a press conference after officially launching Medan Agrobazaar Tol Lama in Slim River here today.

Its main products include fresh fruits, young coconuts, fruit juices and a variety of agri-based food industry products (IMAT) produced by local entrepreneurs.

Also present were Behrang state assemblyman Salina Samsudin, FAMA director-general Abd Rashid Bahri and Muallim District Officer Mohd Sabli Bakri.

Aminuddin said the agrobazaar has also become the permanent sales point for Rebung MADANI — fresh bamboo shoots harvested by local villagers and Orang Asli, a product now closely associated with Slim River.

Since its introduction, 11,493 jars of bamboo shoots have been marketed under the "Produk Tol Lama Slim River" brand, which was recently introduced internationally at the Malaysia Fest Expo in Singapore.

“We brought 200 jars and they were sold out, which means there’s demand not only locally but also from Singapore. We hope this centre becomes a key distribution hub, taking advantage of its strategic location along the country’s main route,” he said. 

Medan Agrobazaar Tol Lama is also among the implementation sites for the Santuni MADANI Programme, an initiative to enhance village potential and community economic capacity through active engagement and on-ground monitoring.

The programme aligns with the Agro MADANI aspirations, which emphasise market assurance, price stability and inclusive public participation in the food and agriculture sectors.

-- BERNAMA