BY KHIRTINI K KUMARAN

Under the leadership of President and Chief Executive Officer Dato ’ Tengku Ahmad Badli Shah Raja Hussin , Agrobank navigates the challenges of climate change , market fluctuations , and regulatory shifts while upholding its commitment to balancing profitability with social responsibility .

“ As a DFI ( Development Financial Institution ), Agrobank is in full support to complement and realise the government ’ s food security aspirations ,” said Tengku Ahmad .

“ Agrobank has been mandated to finance activities that fall along the entire agriculture value chain , from upstream planting activities to the distribution , marketing and retailing of agriculture products to consumers - from farm to table .”

He said that agriculture sector development and increasing the nation ’ s food production were among the major policy agendas towards strengthening Malaysia ’ s food security standing .

“ On top of that , the agriculture sector has played a critical role in facilitating the Malaysian economy ’ s structural change while building strong linkages with downstream activities in the manufacturing ( agro-based industries ) and the services sector .

“ Agrobank has financed a lot more for the agrofood segment than commodities , as well as for the agro-based manufacturing and wholesale sub-sectors .”

Agrobank increasingly focuses on value-based banking to deliver a sustainable economy and social and environmental development for the nation . Modernisation of agriculture , adoption of automation and ICT and youth participation are also part of Agrobank ’ s mission .

ADDRESSING CLIMATE CHANGE Agrobank strategically supports Malay-

THE agriculture sector and agro-food subsector remain pivotal in ensuring food security . This to support sustainable domestic food consumption and reduce the reliance on imported foods to meet

domestic needs .

Post-Covid-19 pandemic , Malaysia grapples with heightened food security challenges , exacerbated by escalating food prices and uncertainties surrounding production capabilities . Agrobank President and Chief E�������� ������ ����� ������ A���� B���� ���� R��� ������ ��������� ����� pivotal factors contributing to these concerns : production adequacy , climate change , and affordability . The adequacy �� ���� ���������� ������ �� ���������� ������� �� ���� ��� ������������ �������� diet ration and nutritional needs at affordable prices .

“ For example , for chicken farming , a ���������� �0 ��� ���� �� ��� �������� are attributed to chicken feed . The primary components of this feed are

grain corn and soy , two things we cannot possibly plant in Malaysia on a large scale due to climatic constraints .

“ Attempting to cultivate the corn locally , for example , would result in high water content , which will incur additional operational costs , leading to increased retail prices for chicken . Consequently , Malaysia depends on imports for poultry feeds .

“ Apart from that , we also import ����� �� ��� ���� �� ��� ���� ������� we can only produce up to about three per cent for our local consumption . This is also very worrying because disruptions to the global supply chain could severely impact our ability to meet domestic consumption needs .

“ We , therefore , need to maximise �������� �� ��� ��� �������� �����������