JOHOR BARU, Dec 5 — The Johor government, through investment arm Johor Corporation (JCorp), plans to develop a digital wholesale market next year to bring all local businesses’ agrofood products together to be marketed online.

Mentri Besar Datuk Hasni Mohammad said the online platform, developed through the collaboration between JCorp and several private companies, would cater not only to domestic demand but also to international demand.

"We have found that the role of middlemen remains an issue in regulating prices or determining market prices. One way to avoid (using) middlemen is by producing our own agriculture products and then marketing them ourselves.

"At this time, (the digital wholesale market) is still being discussed and it will be finalised in the near future. Next year, we will be able to start developing the system, and as soon as the system is up, we can begin (the sale of) domestic products,” he told reporters after the urban farm launching ceremony at a mosque here today in conjunction with the Johor-level World Town Planning Day 2021 celebration.

Hasni said Johor would expand the the agriculture sector including through the urban farm programme, online promotion of agricultural products as well as collaboration with agriculture and marketing experts.

Elaborating on urban farms, he called on the public, especially city residents, to optimise the use of land by undertaking small-scale agricultural activities on housing premises and idle land.

"If the mosque committee members can do (an urban farm), small associations can also do it. Surely this programme can be expanded to the general public,” he added. — Bernama