Organic Farming Gaining Popularity KUALA LUMPUR: More and more farmers are putting aside pesticides and harmful farming methods and taking up organic farming. As of last year, 2,367 hectares were farmed organically, up from 131ha in 2001 when organic farming was formally introduced to the country. Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said: "Malaysia has the potential to develop and tap into the massive global market for organic produce." He added that the market for organic products in the United States was worth about RM79 billion, about RM36 billion in Western Europe and about RM1.4 billion in Asia. He was speaking at the one-day National Organic Farming Seminar 2007 yesterday. Present were Agriculture and Agro-based deputy secretary-general (development) Mohd Mokhtar Ismail, Agriculture Department director- general Datuk Sofian Mohd Salleh, and Centre for Environment, Technology and Development Malaysia chairman Gurmit Singh.
The most active players in the organic farming sector were farmers in Selangor and Negeri Sembilan, said Sofian. With the introduction of the Malaysia Organic farming Scheme (SOM) in 2004, standards have been set in accordance with the guidelines of the International Federation for Organic Agriculture Movement and Codex. Muhyiddin said only seven out of 70 farms with a total land of 947ha had received the SOM certification. To sell produce as organic, the land must be farmed naturally for at least seven years. Tests will be done to confirm there is no chemical residue in the soil before the certification is granted. Titi Eco Farm Resort, which offers visitors the opportunity to enjoy organic vegetables and fruits grown on its 12ha farm in Negri Sembilan, received its certification last December. Managing director Lim Mok Lai said the 10-year-old organic farm produced about 30 tonnes of organic produce a month for domestic consumption. "But the supply of organic produce is still not enough to meet the growing demand for it," he said. Lim said organic produce was more expensive because of the better care and environmentally friendly methods used for growing.  "Granted, consumers have to dig a bit deeper into their pockets for organic produce. But for healthier and safer food, it is worth it," he said.
(c) 2007 New Straits Times. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.
Source: New Straits Times |
