Malaysia Is The Best Example In Agrotourism - APO

ALOR SETAR, Sept 22 (Bernama) -- Malaysia is the best example for developing the agrotourism industry as it has managed to help people involved in agriculture to improve their quality of life.

Director of the Agriculture Department, Asian Productivity Organisation (APO) Joselito Cruz Bernardo said many countries were trying to find ways to improve the income for small farmers as the land for agriculture has become smaller.

"Malaysia has the best solutions through agrotourism. The only way to improve the income of small farmers is to find a way to diversify their economic activies.

"We have to introduce new activities. In doing this, Malaysia is the best example for agrotourism in Asia, and it also includes homestay programmes. I have been travelling around...Malaysia has the best, well organised agrotourism programme," he told reporters during the welcoming dinner for a Training Course on Development of Homestay and Agrotourism Programme, here Sunday night.

He said it was proven that Malaysia's effort to develop agrotourism managed to provide more income for the people in the rural area. Bernardo said APO is a regional organisation based in Tokyo, composed of 20 member countries with Malaysia is one of the very active member.

"We support member countries in terms of economic development to improve productivity. We are here in Kedah as a way to improve the agricultural sector. The participants will study your agricultural practices in developing agrotourism and try to implement them in their respective countries after this," he said. He said agrotourism was one the major programs for APO for the last five years and the best practices were in Malaysia.

"After this training course some participants will organize programmes in their respective countries and maybe they will be inviting some experts from Malaysia. What we do at APO is to facilitate, share knowldege and encourage partnership between various organisations and member countries," he said.

The Training Course on Development of Homestay and Agrotourism Programme started yesterday until Sept 27, organised by APO and Malaysia Productivity Corporation (MPC), with the Muda Agricultural Development Authority (Mada) as the local host. The course is being attended by 17 participants from 13 countries.

APO was established on May 11, 1961 as a regional intergovernmental organization. Its mission is to contribute to the sustainable socioecomic development of Asia and the Pacific through enhancing productivity.

Meanwhile, the Deputy Secretary-General (Development) of the Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-based Industry, Azini Mohd Shahid hoped that cooperation between the Asian countries through APO could develop a more advanced business activity, based on agricultural activities.

He said Malaysia was prepared to highlight existing expertise in certain fields and at the same time learn with the other nations on the expertise possessed by a particular country. He disclosed this when met at the program.
-bernama.