KOTA BHARU, Nov 17 (Bernama) -- The Federal Government plans to utilise Kelantan's vast land resources as a catalyst for future economic growth through the food and agriculture industries, says Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli.
He said that as part of this initiative, plans were underway to establish numerous factories focused on these industries under the 13th Malaysia Plan (RMK-13) to attract investors to the state.
"In Kelantan, significant land assets, not only those privately owned, but even state-owned remain undeveloped. We are exploring ways to fully capitalise on these assets.
"We aim to transform these undeveloped lands into food hubs and food-based projects. With sufficient scale, we can then encourage related factories to relocate to Kelantan," he said.
Rafizi made these remarks during a dialogue session as part of RMK-13 Stakeholder Engagement Session 2 with the Kelantan State Government here today.
The Pandan MP projected that in the next five to 15 years, the majority of job opportunities in Kelantan would be centred around the food and agriculture sectors.
He emphasised that planning was essential to develop these untapped lands, enabling residents to increase their income through farming.
"Agriculture can be modern, sustainable, and yield consistent, high-quality results.
"If we look at Kelantan's key asset, it is its land. On the West Coast, land is scarce, and the costs of agriculture are high," he noted.
He added that the government, particularly the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, must provide fertiliser, funding, and capital support to realise this plan.
Rafizi highlighted the need to modernise agriculture into an industry that delivered better yields while encouraging youth participation.
-- BERNAMA
