SERDANG: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has called for an end to the old practice of procuring seeds and fertilisers through cartels and monopolies.
Anwar said ending this required political will and decisive action from the minister in charge.
"Seeds cannot (should no longer be obtained) through cartels or monopolies, as in the past, and similarly, fertilisers cannot (should not be purchased) through cartels and monopolies.
"So, we need a minister and a firm stance to clearly state that the outdated cartel practices in fertiliser importation must be stopped," he said in his speech at the Malaysian Agriculture, Horticulture and Agro Tourism Exhibition (MAHA) 2024 at the Malaysia Agro Exposition Park (Maeps) Serdang here today.
Present were Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu, his deputy Datuk Arthur Joseph Kurup, Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar and Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad.
Anwar said decisions must be made based on facts and what benefited farmers, fishermen and small planters the most.
This approach is being implemented by Mohamad.
To ensure productivity, Anwar said, the entire ecosystem needed to be well-organised.
"So the ecosystem has to run. If we talk about production, we don't think about capital, we don't follow marketing, we don't think about productivity, it is incomplete.
"This is an old theory, not a new theory... Economists from the past emphasised this," he said.
Meanwhile, Anwar expressed confidence that the agricultural landscape would transform within a year or two.
He said this confidence stemmed from the progress and advancements made by the agriculture and food security ministry under Mohamad's leadership.
"If the pace of change and progress takes place in the ministry, as it is now with the focus including durian and various other things, I am confident that in another one or two years we will see the agricultural landscape change.
"So I hope all agencies, the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (Mardi) and others, including the agriculture and fisheries departments, take this as a challenge," he said.
Anwar also commended the Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority (Fama) for its improved marketing performance.
"In the first few months, I was quite critical of Fama.
"From a marketing point of view, Fama is a pillar and I really pushed hard enough that the minister had to persuade me, and now I acknowledge that, alhamdulillah (praise be to God), Fama's performance has significantly improved," he said.