SERDANG, Aug 14 — The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industries (Mafi) will keep the Malaysian Agro Exposition Park (Maeps) open year-round as a permanent site for agro-tourism exhibitions.

Its minister Datuk Seri Ronald Kiandee said that for a start, they will make the paddy field pavillion as the adopted project of the Rice Industry Development Department together with Padi Beras Nasional Berhad (Bernas).

"The paddy pavillion will be made a permanent agro-tourism site to be promoted throughout the year and not just when the Malaysian Agriculture, Horticulture and Agro-tourism Exhibition (MAHA) is held.

"This is a new approach that will be taken into account by the MAFI management to make Maha a prestigious and memorable expo,” he said at a press conference after the Maha 2022 closing ceremony at MAEPS here.

He said this is because every time MAHA ends, Maeps will be left deserted.

Earlier, as a token of appreciation to agencies and departments as well as exhibitors in making MAHA 2022 a success, he presented three special awards of Best State Pavilion Award, Most Viral Segment Award and Highest Sales Award.

To make a difference to the Maha 2022 edition, another special award was given to the 1,100,001st exhibition visitor which went to Yaakob Man@Othman, a 67-year-old government retiree from Penang. — Bernama