PORT DICKSON, Jan 17 – The Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority (Fama) is targeting to record sales of RM3.5 billion this year, backed by the increase in online sales activities and in the number of marketing outlets, such as the farmers’ market and the AgroBazaar Rakyat.
Fama chairman Tan Sri Badruddin Amiruldin said the agency had recorded sales of RM2.64 billion through its 2,089 marketing outlets nationwide last year. “For online sales via AgroBazaar Online, Fama has set a target of RM1 million a year for each state to achieve.
“Fama also intends to have more delivery stations and also trucks equipped with frozen, cold and normal compartments to improve its delivery system,” he told reporters after attending the Fama Annual Work Target and Key Performance Indicators Conference 2018 here today.
The three-day conference which began yesterday and attended by 350 Fama staff nationwide was officiated by Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Ministry secretary-general Datuk Seri Dr Ismail Bakar. Badruddin said, at present, Fama only had two delivery trucks equipped with the three compartments operating around the Klang Valley.
Elaborating further, he said Fama also targeted to increase sales through the “Jimat Belanja Dapur” (save on kitchen expenses) (JBD) programme, which was one of the government’s efforts to address the issue of the rising cost of living. He said the JBD programme involved 27 commodities, including red chilies, carrots, tomatoes, coconuts, potatoes, anchovies, chicken eggs, standard chicken, flour, cooking oil and rice, which would be priced between 5% and 20% lower than the market price.
“In order to ensure the success of the JBD programme, Fama will import these items if there were shortage of supply in the market, hence help to stabilise the prices. Previously, traders would purchase stocks from wholesalers and this could increase the cost but under this programme, traders can directly purchase the items from Fama and resell it at a price suggested by Fama,” he said adding that smallholders were also encouraged to directly sell their produce at farmers’ markets. — Bernama
