Agrobank Business Dialogue 2017: Focus On Food Security And TN50

KUALA LUMPUR – Agrobank today hosted a half day dialogue called Agrobank Business Dialogue (Dialog Niaga Agrobank or DNA) with the focus on food security and TN50. More than 300 guests attended the dialogue session.

YB Dato’ Sri Ahmad Shabery Cheek, Minister of Agriculture and Agro-based Industry officiated the dialogue and delivered keynote address entitled “Our Food Our Future: Realising TN50”.

DNA is a thought leadership programme organised by Agrobank, with the aim to share issues, latest updates, ideas and solutions related to business in the agriculture and food sector. For the year 2017, the topic of food security is chosen as the theme, in line with the country’s strategic focus in ensuring sufficient food needs by the year 2050.

With the increase in population is expected to increase to 50 million people by 2050, the government is committed to take effective measures to ensure food security for the country.

According to Dato’ Wan Mohd Fadzmi Wan Othman, President/Chief Executive Officer of Agrobank, agriculture is still a key factor for economic growth. “Under the 11th Malaysia Plan, agriculture GDP is projected to achieve RM93.2 billion and the figure is estimated to reach RM110.7 billion in the year 2020.’’

“The Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-based Industry (MOA) is very committed to address the trade balance deficit of RM18.1 billion recorded and lessen the country’s dependency on food imports. With the rising demands for local and export market, the agriculture outlook remains positive and promising,” said Dato’ Wan Mohd Fadzmi.

Dato’ Wan Mohd Fadzmi said that technology is the key solution towards increasing agriculture productivity and Agrobank is keen to support businesses to use technology in order to increase their productivity.

Dato’ Wan Mohd Fadzmi also explained that for businesses to invest in technology, access to funding/financing is essential. “As a bank that understands agriculture better, Agrobank provides a comprehensive financing solution for agriculture that includes financing for upstream activities such as the supply of agricultural production inputs to downstream activities such as processing and selling of agricultural products to consumers. For Agrobank, we will support and finance any viable business and projects related to agriculture sector.”
DNA 2017 started with the presentation on “Prospects and Opportunities in Agriculture 2017” by Datuk Seri Dr. Ismail Haji Bakar, the Secretary General of the Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-based Industry.

After that, YB Dato’ Sri Ahmad Shabery Cheek, Minister of Agriculture and Agro-based Industries delivered a keynote address “Our Food, Our Future: Realising TN50”. Dato’ Sri Ahmad Shabery elaborated efforts in ensuring food security and challenges in increasing food needs to accommodate increased population of 50 million people by the year 2050.

The final session is a forum on ‘Food Security – Issues, Challenges and Solutions: How to accommodate with the country’s food needs”. The panellist for the session were Prof. Datin Paduka Dr. Fatimah Mohamed Arshad from Fellow of Agricultural and Food Policy Studies Institute, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Dato’ Wan Mohd Fadzmi Wan Othman, President / CEO of Agrobank and three other members who are directly involved in agri-business; Dato Yap Yun Fook, Managing Director of Evergreen Livestock Farm, Mr. Addy Renda Samuri, General Manager of Cemara Agrofarming and Mr. Shakran Shamsudin, General Manager of PPK Kuala Langat. The session was moderatod by Mr. Kamarul Bahrin Haron, Executive Editor of Astro Awani.