SERIAN: Agriculture should no longer be seen as a fallback for those who fail academically, but instead as a viable and profitable career path for the younger generation.
Industry, Commodity, and Regional Development Deputy Minister, Datuk Martin Ben, stressed that in the 21st century, farming is about creating wealth, not merely surviving.
He said it was important for young people to see agriculture as a serious business opportunity, capable of generating substantial income without depending on conventional employment.
“In countries like the United States of America, Australia and Canada, many farmers hold master’s degrees.
“That is the direction we want to move towards.
“Our farmers today must not farm for the sake of earning a few thousand ringgit.
“We want them to aim for at least RM6,000 in monthly income, in line with the government’s target,” he said.
He told the media this after officiating at the launch of Pro MPOB-UKM@Kampung and the chilli fertigation module at Serian Convention Centre on Saturday.
The Kedup assemblyman acknowledged that while efforts are being made to promote agriculture, the choice ultimately lies with the individuals themselves.
He pointed out that despite the efforts, participation from the younger generation at such programmes remained low, which was why agencies like Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), and others were brought in to engage directly with rural communities.
“Like the saying goes, you can bring the horse to water, but you cannot force it to drink.
“We hope that with exposure to knowledge, technology and experiences shared by universities and agencies, more young people will step forward to build small farms, learn hands-on, and grow steadily from there.
“We want to tell them that agriculture is the way forward; it’s about creating jobs, not just seeking jobs,” he added.
Earlier, Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) Deputy Director-General (Research and Development), Dr Ramle Moslim, said the MPOB-UKM@Kampung programme serves as a high-impact platform to strengthen collaboration between academia, government agencies and rural communities.
He said the collaboration would allow research and field application to be translated more effectively, contributing towards the overall socio-economic development of rural areas, especially for smallholder oil palm farmers nationwide.
“Through this effort, we hope to empower communities with knowledge and technology, while building stronger partnerships among stakeholders for sustainable progress,” he said.
