ALOR SETAR, July 29 — The Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-based Industry (MOA) will announce the new chairman of the Muda Agricultural Development Authority (Mada) in no later than two weeks.

Its minister, Datuk Salahuddin Ayub, said his ministry was at the final stage of the selection as it had to take into account the capability of the candidate to take on the responsibility.

"I will take into account the capability, experience in administration and governance with farmers, so we have to have a combination of a politician and having expertise and knowledge in certain areas,” he told reporters at the Friendly Programme of the Minister of Agriculture and Agro-based Industry with Mada Farmers’ Leaders here, today.

Also present were Mada General Manager, Datuk Fauzi Ali and Mada’s Area Farmers Organisation Coordinating Committee chairman Musa Khamis.

Prior to this, Datuk Othman Aziz was Mada chairman.

Meanwhile, when commenting on three projects under the under the supervision of Mada involving about 61,246 hectares of padi fields in the Mada area, Salahuddin said the government would review the projects.

"I think we will make a decision later because we need to look at the achievements and needs, if there is a need for us to continue, we will continue if not we will think of other ways,” he said when responding to questions on the projects whether to continue or not.

The projects were the previous government and Mada’s effort to promote commercial rice cultivation with an average rice production target of eight tonnes per hectare.

Meanwhile in Gopeng, MOA deputy Minister Sim Tze Tzin said the ministry would consider having more business activities at the Rural Transformation Centre (RTC) here to boost the local economy.

He said among the types of businesses that could be conducted were organising food and fruit festivals, furniture sale or fun fair.

He said MOA had held discussions with the Federal Agriculture Marketing Authority director-general Datuk Ahmad Ishak on renting out lots in the RTC to traders at the lowest rates. — Bernama