ISKANDAR PUTERI: Johor was the leading state in Malaysia’s agro-based industry (IAT) last year, recording the highest number of registered IAT entrepreneurs and the highest value of IAT product sales in the country.
State Agriculture, Agro-Based Industry and Rural Development Committee chairman, Datuk Zahari Sarip said Department of Agriculture records showed 1,604 registered entrepreneurs in Johor in 2024, representing 27 per cent of the total IAT entrepreneurs nationwide.
He said in terms of IAT product sales value, Johor recorded RM348.15 million, or 29 per cent of the total IAT sales value in the country for 2024.
“Of the 1,604 entrepreneurs, 499 were categorised as Level 1 with sales under RM50,000, 428 at Level 2 (over RM50,000), 468 at Level 3 (over RM100,000), 186 at Level 4 (over RM300,000), 17 at Level 5 (over RM5 million), and six entrepreneurs at Level 6 (over RM15 million),” he said at the Johor State Legislative Assembly sitting at Kota Iskandar here today.
He said this in a written reply to Mohd Yusla Ismail (BN–Senggarang), who asked about the strategic steps being taken and planned by the state government to strengthen and develop downstream industries related to agro-based industry in Johor, particularly in terms of product development, marketing, youth participation and modern technology.
Zahari said the state government, through the Johor State Department of Agriculture, is committed to continuing to strengthen and develop downstream sectors within the IAT to support the comprehensive development of the agricultural sector.
“In line with that goal, various strategic programmes and initiatives have been implemented to boost IAT entrepreneurship activities, especially in product development, marketing and the application of modern technology to ensure sustainable growth and high competitiveness in Johor’s agricultural sector,” he said.
He said incentives under the IAT Development Programme include provision of machinery and equipment, incentives for packaging technology development covering all aspects including design, barcode development, nutritional facts analysis, and consultation services for labelling and product packaging design.
In addition, Zahari said incentives are available for constructing new or upgrading existing food processing workshops according to halal certification procedures, the “Food Safety is the Responsibility of the Industry” (MeSTI) certification, and towards achieving Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) standards.
“All these incentives will be provided to eligible individuals who have been operating their businesses for at least six months to a year.
“They will also receive training, guidance and advisory services related to information and modern technology in the IAT field through formal, scheduled training, visits and advisory services from Agro-Based Industry Development Agents (APIAT),” he said.
Zahari added that overall, the state government allocated RM4.66 million to empower 264 IAT entrepreneurs in Johor in 2024, while RM2.2 million has been allocated to assist 121 IAT operators this year.
