A total of 11,832 farms in the crop subsector have received the myGAP certification from 2003 until last year, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (KPKM).
Its Minister, Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu, said 326 farms had received the myOrganic certification during the same period.
He said that both certifications aim to promote sustainable agricultural practices to maintain the balance between the environment and ecosystems.
It is also to ensure that the industry’s growth would not result in pollution and environmental damage while meeting the increasing demand for food.
“With increasing awareness of food safety and reducing negative impacts on the environment, the agri-food sector will continue to be committed to improving the efficient use of natural resources.
“At the same time, it increases the rate of adoption of good agricultural practices by agro-heroes, the farmers in this country,” he said at the Appreciation Ceremony for myGAP and myOrganic Certification in the Crop Subsector for 2022 held here last night.
His speech was read by the ministry’s secretary-general Datuk Seri Lokman Hakim Ali.
Mohamad explained that the letter ‘M’ in the government’s MADANI slogan also referred to the core value of sustainability.
“In line with this value, the government, through Budget 2023, has allocated a special incentive of RM1.6 million to encourage agro-heroes to obtain myGAP (pesticide-free) certification, avoiding the use of synthetic pesticides,” he added.
Source: BERNAMA News Agency