SERDANG, Nov 1 — Agricultural entrepreneurs can now obtain agricultural inputs such as fertilisers, pesticides, animal feeds, seeds and equipment at reasonable prices through the website, eAGRO.

Agriculture and Food Industries Minister Datuk Ronald Kiandee said eAGRO is the first online platform in Malaysia to market agricultural inputs to facilitate farmers, padi growers, and others involved in the agro food industry to obtain agricultural necessities.

"The platform will reduce the involvement of middlemen in marketing the products of agricultural inputs to agro food industry players nationwide,” he said when launching eAGRO here today.

Also present were the ministry’s two deputy ministers, Datuk Seri Ahmad Hamzah and Nik Muhammad Zawawi Salleh, ministry secretary-general Datuk Haslina Abdul Hamid and eAgro executive chairman Datuk Seri Syed Razlan Syed Putra Jamalullail.

Ronald said facility platforms such as eAGRO meets the ministry’s strategy to expand the adaption of technology in the food chain system to improve efficiency and productivity.

"The ministry supports facilities or platforms such as eAGRO and it should benefit all agricultural industry players in the country to obtain better income,” he said.

Syed Razlan said the eAGRO platform would enable smallholders to link with sellers and manufacturers of agricultural inputs as well as offers of quality products at reasonable prices.

"Our intention is to connect farmers with sellers, retailers and producers through the online platform in which all players in the agricultural input segment could create a strong community to acquire quality products with a wide variety of choices.

"We want to increase access to quality agricultural input products for smallholders to increase production yields, thereby benefiting the country,” he said.

He said smallholders could register as members of eAGRO to enjoy cash returns of two per cent for direct purchase and at the same time have the choice to pay in installment without interest. — Bernama