“WHAT OUGHT TO BE ON THE TABLE, NOT UNDER … “
No amount of promotion, opening, and closing of pseudo-political gatherings, conferences, exhibitions, seminars, and workshops will make a significant dent to the economics of boosting rural development through agriculture for foods, fruits, vegetables, meats, and other perishables, unless there is an affirmative action by all agents of the Government to continue ensuring that the local produce make up significant portions of the daily menus of all Malaysians and other residents. Although old habits die hard, at least the menus for catering official functions reflect the fruits of local labour, blood, sweat, and tears. New recipes based on local produce and products need be developed and introduced as fast as the other fast food place. Facts, figures, pictures, and images on health and nutrition need be revised or re-edited to reflect the local contents. Pictorial news, advertorials, and the print-media should be sensitive to the need for the promotion of locally grown natural crops of the tropics.
The promotion of "kuih baulu", for instance, by an agriculture agency at an international chain of supermarket is short of the necessary sensitivity. Most of the ingredients including sugar, flour, butter, milk, and quite likely, the eggs, required to make the "kuih" are imported. At a State Expo, a picture of the State's EXCO for Agriculture pulling "teh tarik" was captured by a local newspaper. Again, almost all the ingredients for that so-called national drink are imported. A Ministry promoting "Family Health" in full coloured advertisement page chose to use the image of a glass bowl full of "green apples" presuamably all imported, but why not local bananas, guavas, papayas, and other tropica-exotica.
An affirmative action on BATIK has proven to be of help to many in such a cottage industry. Why not on a range of other local produce?
Should such an action is a hit, then there must be accompanied by a follow-through. Otherwise, whatever is produced will end-up either in the milky water or into the deep forest. Small and Medium producers, as individuals, will have difficulties in penetrating the existing well-established distribution networks and their retail-outlets. A lot of expectations is not what is on the table, but under. There are no buyers like MARDEC for rubber, FELDA for oil-palms, and BERNAS for padi. The thought of having "Sogashosa" as a major buyer and distributor need be re-visited. How about review the current procurement policies of the Armed Forces, and the boarding Schools, colleges, universities, and other Government-linked institutions? It would be a boost to the agro-based industry of Malaysia, as did the initial supply of Coca-Cola to the US Army and that of Pepsi-Cola to the US Schools. The rest ... were history for these two beverage Giants.
Thus, should all relevant agencies are serious about developing rural economy through agriculture and agro-based industry, as part and parcel of a strategy for rural-poverty eradication, there ought to be in place a nation-wide Policy on menu or procurement that calls for locally grown produce and locally processed products."
Dato' Ir Dr A. Bakar Jaafar,
No amount of promotion, opening, and closing of pseudo-political gatherings, conferences, exhibitions, seminars, and workshops will make a significant dent to the economics of boosting rural development through agriculture for foods, fruits, vegetables, meats, and other perishables, unless there is an affirmative action by all agents of the Government to continue ensuring that the local produce make up significant portions of the daily menus of all Malaysians and other residents. Although old habits die hard, at least the menus for catering official functions reflect the fruits of local labour, blood, sweat, and tears. New recipes based on local produce and products need be developed and introduced as fast as the other fast food place. Facts, figures, pictures, and images on health and nutrition need be revised or re-edited to reflect the local contents. Pictorial news, advertorials, and the print-media should be sensitive to the need for the promotion of locally grown natural crops of the tropics.
The promotion of "kuih baulu", for instance, by an agriculture agency at an international chain of supermarket is short of the necessary sensitivity. Most of the ingredients including sugar, flour, butter, milk, and quite likely, the eggs, required to make the "kuih" are imported. At a State Expo, a picture of the State's EXCO for Agriculture pulling "teh tarik" was captured by a local newspaper. Again, almost all the ingredients for that so-called national drink are imported. A Ministry promoting "Family Health" in full coloured advertisement page chose to use the image of a glass bowl full of "green apples" presuamably all imported, but why not local bananas, guavas, papayas, and other tropica-exotica.
An affirmative action on BATIK has proven to be of help to many in such a cottage industry. Why not on a range of other local produce?
Should such an action is a hit, then there must be accompanied by a follow-through. Otherwise, whatever is produced will end-up either in the milky water or into the deep forest. Small and Medium producers, as individuals, will have difficulties in penetrating the existing well-established distribution networks and their retail-outlets. A lot of expectations is not what is on the table, but under. There are no buyers like MARDEC for rubber, FELDA for oil-palms, and BERNAS for padi. The thought of having "Sogashosa" as a major buyer and distributor need be re-visited. How about review the current procurement policies of the Armed Forces, and the boarding Schools, colleges, universities, and other Government-linked institutions? It would be a boost to the agro-based industry of Malaysia, as did the initial supply of Coca-Cola to the US Army and that of Pepsi-Cola to the US Schools. The rest ... were history for these two beverage Giants.
Thus, should all relevant agencies are serious about developing rural economy through agriculture and agro-based industry, as part and parcel of a strategy for rural-poverty eradication, there ought to be in place a nation-wide Policy on menu or procurement that calls for locally grown produce and locally processed products."
Dato' Ir Dr A. Bakar Jaafar,
Rural-Urban Business Incubator (RUBI)
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