MOTAC TO CONTINUE KITE FESTIVAL PROMOTIONS TO ENSURE POPULARITY

KUALA LUMPUR -- The Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC), through Tourism Malaysia, will ensure that the Kite Festival in Pasir Gudang, Johor, continues to be known locally and abroad.

Its Minister, Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri, said MOTAC would continue to promote and develop appropriate packages to increase the number of visitors, to Johor in particular and Malaysia in general.

“The festival has always received an encouraging response, both from visitors from within and from abroad. In 2019, the last edition of the festival organised, it managed to attract the participation of 43 countries, involving 215 foreign participants,” she said during the question and answer session in the Dewan Rakyat today.

She said this in her reply to a question from Hassan Abdul Karim (PH-Pasir Gudang), who wanted to know whether MOTAC cooperated with the Johor government and Pasir Gudang City Council to raise the Kite Festival to a global standard and popularity.

-- BERNAMA

S’WAK RICE DEVELOPMENT PLAN, SELF-SUFFICIENCY LEVEL UNDER REVIEW

KUALA LUMPUR -- The Sarawak Agriculture Department is reviewing the original plan for paddy development in the Sungai Tunoh and Nanga Merit areas, as the main paddy production areas in the Kapit Division.

Deputy Agriculture and Food Industry Minister, Datuk Seri Ahmad Hamzah, said the move was to create a holistic and sustainable development model, in line with the National Food Security Policy and the Sarawak government's development aspirations to increase the state’s self-sufficiency level for rice.

He was replying to a question posed by Datuk Wilson Ugak Kumbong (GPS-Hulu Rajang), who wanted to know the status of the paddy planting scheme in Nanga Merit and Sungai Tunoh in the Kapit Division.

-- BERNAMA

ADEQUATE CHICKEN SUPPLY DURING RAMADAN - MAFI

KUALA LUMPUR -- The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry (MAFI) has given its assurance of an adequate and stable supply of chicken during Ramadan, which begins in early April.

Deputy Agriculture and Food Industry Minister, Datuk Seri Ahmad Hamzah, said the government was taking short and long term measures, including importing 10,000 metric tonnes of whole chicken (frozen) from abroad, to ensure sufficient chicken supply.

"The government has also provided a subsidy of RM528 million, covering 60 sen per kilogramme for chicken and five sen per egg (grades A, B and C) to (local) farmers who are burdened with increased production costs and chicken feed.

“The subsidy initiative is expected to benefit 2,061 broiler and 194 egg-producing hen breeders nationwide,” he said in his reply to a question from Datuk Ahmad Jazlan Yaakub (BN-Machang) on government methods to ensure adequate chicken supply and controlled prices, especially during Ramadan.

-- BERNAMA