MAFS PRODUCES 24,800 AGRICULTURAL TVET GRADUATES - ARTHUR

KUALA LUMPUR, June 25 (Bernama) -- The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (MAFS) has thus far, produced 24,800 graduates of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) in the field of agriculture.

Its Deputy Minister Datuk Arthur Joseph Kurup said the marketability trend of agricultural TVET graduates also showed an increase last year, at 72.3 per cent, compared with 69.5 per cent in 2022 and 66.3 per cent in 2021.

“If we look ahead, there are still some efforts implemented by MAFS to ensure that TVET trainees and graduates become entrepreneurs.

“We have the Graduate Agricultural Youth Development Incubator (PROBEST) and the provision of Young Agropreneur grants to TVET agricultural graduates who have potential and want to start businesses in the agro-food sector after graduation,” he said.

He said this in his reply to a supplementary question from Datuk Mohd Isam Mohd Isa (BN-Tampin) who inquired about the marketability of current and future agricultural TVET graduates, as well as the initiatives implemented by the government to enable them to become independent and successful entrepreneurs in the agro-food sector.

Meanwhile, Arthur said that fruits such as durian and pineapple have each reached a Self-Sufficiency Rate (SSR) of over 100 per cent in Malaysia, and the focus now is on the export market for these two fruits.

Additionally, he said that the country has successfully produced its own variety of onions as a result of research by the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI). This achievement reduces Malaysia's dependence on imported onions and enhances the country's food security.

“We always strive to further improve the performance and accreditation of accredited centres under MAFS to attract more youth into this field. It is also to ensure that we have courses that are always in line with modern technology and innovation to increase youth participation and, consequently, boost our food production.

He said this in response to a supplementary question from Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman (MUDA-Muar), who inquired about the government's new strategies to reduce the importation of food items at excessively high prices, which have been increasing annually.

-- BERNAMA