KUALA KANGSAR, Nine mosques in Perak have been selected to implement the Food Security Programme focused on papaya cultivation this year, with a total allocation of RM86,000. State Agriculture Department director, Norsiyenti Othman, said that the participating districts include Kuala Kangsar, Gerik, Tapah, Kampung Gajah, Gopeng, Bagan Datuk, Taiping and Kuala Kurau, covering a total land area of 1.7 hectares. She said the assistance would be provided for land clearing and preparation, irrigation systems, as well as agricultural inputs such as papaya seeds, fertilisers and pesticides. "For each mosque, we are supplying between 50 to 100 papaya seeds. In addition, training and regular monitoring are also provided to the mosque congregations involved in the cultivation. "Once the papayas begin to bear fruit approximately six months after planting, it will be up to the mosque committee to decide how to distribute the produce, whether by donating or selling them to the public," she said when met by reporters after launching the programme at Masjid Al-Lattifiyah, Kampung Loh, here today. Norsiyenti expressed her hope that the mosque management can generate income by selling the papayas they cultivate and continue to plant them repeatedly. She added that since 2021, the department has supported 1,010 participants at 101 locations, including mosques, surau, and religious institutions, through the Community Agriculture Programme. "Our aim with programmes like this is to stimulate agricultural activities at mosques engaging people from various age groups. "I am confident this will enhance social interaction within the community through healthy food production activities, promote environmental sustainability and generate income at the community level within the mosques,' she said. Source: BERNAMA News Agency