1/14/2009 — BERNAMA
The Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry has approved an additional allocation of RM70 million for the development of Permanent Food Production Park (TKPM) projects throughout the country.
Its Minister, Datuk Mustapa Mohamed said the TKPM was started in 2000 and there were now 45 such projects encompassing 7,047 hectares in the country.
The TKPM represents a high impact project implemented by his Ministry, he said, when met after the national level launch of the PFPP and the Lanchang Modern Agriculture Fruit Park by the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi here today.
He said the implementation of the TKPM was also in line with the strategy of the Third National Agriculture Policy to encourage large scale commercial farming involving high technology by agricultural entrepreneurs and private companies.
On the additional allocation, Mustapa said that RM25 million from it would be allocated for the development of infrastructure at the TKPM Lanchang.
“To date, the Ministry has spent RM14 million to develop basic facilities such as roads, electricity and water at the PFPP Lanchang.With the addtional RM25 million allocation, it will bring the total allocation for the TKPM Lanchang to RM39 million,” he said.
He said the TKPM Lanchang was also the biggest such project in the country involving an area of 3,600 hectares.
“The TKPM Lanchang has two components, the TKPM entrepreneur and the TKPM private,” he explained.
— BERNAMA