SEREMBAN: The Agriculture and Food Security Ministry (KPKM) has channelled RM174.16 million to empower youth in the agro-food sector through the Young Agropreneur Grant (GAM) since 2016.
KPKM secretary-general Datuk Lokman Hakim Ali said that 9,529 recipients nationwide have benefited from the grant, which includes assistance for agricultural inputs and equipment as well as farm infrastructure, worth RM20,000 per individual.
“This allocation covers the production of crops, fisheries and livestock. For the 12th Malaysia Plan period up to the first quarter of this year, 41 per cent or 764 young entrepreneurs successfully increased their income between RM2,000 and RM5,000 per month.
“Some 71 entrepreneurs have successfully expanded their businesses to the national market, marketing their products in at least three states,” he told reporters here today.
He was met after officiating at the closing ceremony of the Youth Farmer Matching Programme with Agrofood Industry Subsector, Agriculture Department 2024, with Agriculture director-general Datuk Nor Sam Alwi also present.
At the programme, Lokman Hakim presented the GAM, totalling RM1.42 million, to 71 young agropreneurs under the guidance of the Agriculture Department for phases one and two this year.
“They have the flexibility to utilise this grant in the agro-food industry, such as food processing, or in upstream activities like crop or livestock management. By expanding into different sectors, they can potentially increase their income,” he said.
Lokman Hakim also said the ministry intends to raise the GAM Start-Up grant limit to RM30,000 and introduce the GAM Scale-Up grant with a maximum value of RM50,000.
He mentioned that the GAM Scale-Up grant will be accessible to Start-Up grant recipients who have grown their businesses according to the project timeline and have the potential to progress to the next level.
