'Kelantan farmers lose up to RM400k daily from unsold veggies'

 

Local farmers at Tanah Tinggi Lojing, Gua Musang, Kelantan, have repeated calls for the government to set up a vegetable collection and processing centre to help prevent losses from unsold produce.

Covid-19 movement restrictions, including the ongoing "total lockdown", have caused over 200 tonnes of vegetables to go unsold, say the farmers, which has affected the income of about 200 of them and their workers.

Lojing Bumiputera Vegetables and Flowers Farmers Association deputy chairperson Yusup Abd Rahman said his members hoped the facility would be expedited since their request to the Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority last October.

"Right now, 200 farmers at the location suffered major losses from an overload of unsold vegetables due to movement restrictions under the lockdown.

"The prices of vegetables also plummeted because supplies could not be transported out," said Yusup who estimated a daily loss of between RM300,000 and RM400,000.

"I hope the farmers at the locations could be assisted through the construction of a collection centre.

"We suggested several locations including at an eight-acre site with an RM30 million cost," he said during a press conference at his office in Kota Baru.

He added that the centre would help address the issue of oversupply at Tanah Tinggi Lojing which has a produce output of 80,000 tonnes yearly.

He also said the center would help increase output of produce by implementing modern farming techniques including "vertical farming".

Meanwhile, Kelantan Menteri Besar Ahmad Yakob said the state government is looking at the proposal to set up a collection centre.

"The matter will be reviewed to determine its viability.

"We will try to identify potential areas before any further action," he said after visiting the enhanced movement control order area in Kampung Kutan Tengah, Tumpat, Kelantan. - Mkini