MUAR, March 9 — The Food Industry Dialogue Tour Programme 2022 (DIA2022) was held at Sungai Balang here today to get ideas, views, and suggestions from industry players to develop a sustainable and viable fisheries industry towards national food sustainability.
The engagement session with Agriculture and Food Industries (Mafi) Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ronald Kiandee involved industry players in fishery-based agrofood sector, including coastal fishermen, inland fishermen, aquaculture farmers, especially mussels and fish-based downstream product operators.
“The cooperation and commitment of all interested parties is needed to ensure a thriving fisheries sector in the country as well as for the benefit all parties,” said Mafi in a statement.
According to the statement, Johor is among the main producers of cockles and mussels in Malaysia. In 2020, Johor contributed 317.3 tonnes of cockles, worth RM2.6 million, and was the biggest producer of mussels with 951.7 tonnes, worth RM4.7 million.
According to statistics from the Fisheries Department in 2020, Johor had the second highest number of fishermen in the country at 11,136, while in terms of livestock and aquaculture, the state contributed 6.58 per cent of freshwater aquaculture production and 4.41 per cent of brackishwater aquaculture production in Malaysia. — Bernama
