KULIM, Aug 4 — Farmers, livestock breeders and fishermen in Kedah must seek changes to increase production and place their priority on safe quality food through modernisation, said Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Bashah Md Hanipah.

He said in line with the 2017 Farmers, Livestock Breeders and Fishermen’s  Day (HPPNK) theme "Our Food, Our Future”, the three main group of food suppliers in the state should take the initiative to be actively involved in various related technologies to remain competitive.

"We should not be satisfied to remain just as major food producers but we must take steps to attain the Malaysian Good Agriculture Practices (myGAP) and myOrganic certifications.

"The myOrganic certified farm products are assured of their quality and are safe for consumption as they have been analysed as free from synthetic chemicals and genetically modified organisms (GMO), environment-friendly, contaminant-free and thus ensure workers’ safety,” he said in his speech at the launch of  2017 HPPNK programme at Dataran Kulim here yesterday.

Ahmad Bashah also hoped that farmers, livestock breeders and fishermen would continue to help boost food productivity and ensure that agricultural outputs are raised to the highest level especially in terms of quality and safety.  — Bernama