The National Farmers Organization (NAFAS) today organized the 50th Golden Jubilee Launching Ceremony officiated by the Minister of Agriculture and Food Industry, the Honorable Datuk Seri Dr Ronald Kiandee.
The establishment of the National Farmers Organization (NAFAS) on 31 March 1972 was inspired by the second Prime Minister of Malaysia, the late Tun Abdul Razak Hussein Al Haj. Initially, NAFAS was known as the National Farmers Association and was registered under the Farmers Associations Act 1967. It was responsible as the parent body to farmers’ associations throughout the country.
Along with the passage of time and to enable the movement of farmers to achieve progress, farmers’ associations and agro-based cooperation companies throughout the country have been merged into Area Farmers Organizations (PPK) registered under the Farmers Organizations Act 1973.
Following changes at the area and state levels, the National Farmers Association was re -registered as the National Farmers Organization (NAFAS) in 1984.
To date, NAFAS has been joined by 14 State Farmers Organizations, (PPN), 279 Area Farmers Organizations (PPK) and has 928,636 farmer members nationwide. This structure complements the three -level network of farmer organizations. The Farmers’ Organization Network has been responsible for consolidating and mobilizing the resources of the Farmers’ Organization and subsequently acting as the farmers’ business body.
Minister of Agriculture and Food Industry, Datuk Seri Dr. Ronald Kiandee in his inaugural speech said, the 50 years that NAFAS has shown how hard work in ensuring the welfare and well -being of its members, thus continuing to expand and develop the agricultural sector as a whole.
The success of NAFAS is closely linked and has greatly helped to improve the living standards and economic resources of Farmer Families from time to time through various programs and initiatives in ensuring the Farmers Organization as a farmer -owned business body responsible for uniting and mobilizing the resources of all members to achieve two -pronged goals. That is, obtaining services in the production of agricultural products as well as profits from businesses that are directly related to members of the farmers.
Through this approach, the nationwide network of Farmers’ Organizations affiliated under NAFAS has successfully realized the Government’s aspiration to bring about the transformation of agriculture into a modern and dynamic sector.
Commenting further on the commitment of NAFAS, Chairman of the Board of Directors of NAFAS, Dato ‘Zamri bin Yaakob said in ensuring that NAFAS continues to remain relevant as an umbrella to the chain of Farmers’ Organizations, NAFAS will implement the 5 Determinations of NAFAS as a focus towards 2030 which includes;
i. FIRST DETERMINATION: Development of Paddy & Rice Industry
This determination will focus on complementing the value chain of the paddy & rice industry by creating seed farms, acquisition of seed plants, centralized management of paddy fields as well as rice manufacturing as an effort to increase national rice production.
To focus on this determination, NAFAS is currently moving towards the Development, Production and Commercialization of NAFAS Hybrid Paddy Seeds which is implemented together with the relevant Government agencies as well as partner companies which is expected to start the 1/2023 season.
The objective of the development of this program is to be an alternative for farmers in the future with the offer of Hybrid Paddy Seeds compared to Inbrid Paddy Seeds available in the market. Studies have shown an increase in harvest yield of up to 50% per hectare.
Apart from that, NAFAS which has become one of the leading companies of the Large Scale Smart Paddy Program (SMART SBB) will now create its chain through SMART SBB PELADANG.
The goal of the implementation of SMART SBB PELADANG apart from increasing farmers’ income and paddy yield with the use of NAFAS Hybrid Paddy Seeds, it can strengthen the cooperation of all Farmers Organization machinery into a complete chain for the implementation of the SMART SBB PELADANG concept that will be launched later.
ii. SECOND DETERMINATION: Marketing of Fertilizer and Chemical Inputs
This determination will focus on research & development, manufacturing and marketing of fertilizer & pesticide inputs as NAFAS ’new revenue in the open market.
iii. THIRD DETERMINATION: Major Players of the Chicken Industry
This determination will focus on completing the poultry value chain from poultry feed, poultry to poultry processing to enable the Farmers’ Organization network to become a major player in the halal poultry industry for domestic and international needs.
iv. FOURTH DETERMINATION: New Sources of Wealth
This determination focuses on the development of new agricultural sectors such as MD2 pineapple and durian musang king as well as expanding NAFAS’s oil palm plantations as a source of income.
v. FIFTH DETERMINATION: Prosperity of Farmer Families
This determination focuses on sharing the prosperity of NAFAS to all levels of Farmers’ Organizations through contributions, assistance and career development to future generations of Farmers.
