Agri Dept, Bat Malaysia To Have Nine More Kebuniti Locations This Year

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 26 (Bernama) -- The Agriculture Department will expand the community farm project (kebuniti) to another nine locations this year, in line with the wishes of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim who wants the ministry as well as related agencies to focus on the implementation of urban agriculture.

In a statement today, the department said the additional kebuniti projects in collaboration with its strategic partner British American Tobacco Malaysia Berhad (BAT Malaysia) involved six locations in Selangor, with one location each in Kuala Lumpur, Negeri Sembilan and Melaka.

According to the statement, currently the Agriculture Department and BAT Malaysia are implementing the kebuniti project in 10 locations, with two locations each in Selangor, Johor, Terengganu and Kedah, while the others are in Kuala Lumpur and Negeri Sembilan.

Yesterday, Anwar was reported to have said the government will introduce a targeted agricultural programme in cities as a shift to the production of national agricultural products.

"The Agriculture Department has responded to those wishes (Anwar’s) through cooperation with Koperasi Kebuniti Selangor Berhad (KOBUNITI) and BAT Malaysia as strategic partners in the implementation of the urban agriculture programme and Kebuniti programme,"  said the statement.

The statement also said that Deputy Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Arthur Joseph Kurup witnessed the appreciation ceremony involving the Agriculture Department's strategic partnership with KOBUNITI and BAT Malaysia.

Agriculture Department director-general Datuk Nor Sam Alwi presented the appreciation certificates to  KOBUNITI chairman Tan Sri Abu Kassim and BAT Malaysia director of external affairs Fairuz Helmi Abdul Malek.

BAT Malaysia has implemented a food security programme through the 'Beyond Benih' Programme aimed at helping and empowering B40 communities through the production of food for their own use by optimising the use of land or environmental spaces through gardening activities.

KOBUNITI is a cooperative that guides the target groups, especially the B40, in carrying out agricultural projects to generate income and provide appropriate training to farmers in addition to implementing cooperation in the development of urban agriculture projects through training programmes and technology showcases with advisory services from the Department of Agriculture.

-- BERNAMA