September 28, 2010
New Malaysian unit to aid food producers
The Johor Agriculture Department of Malaysia will form a business negotiation unit to give financial advice to local food manufacturers.
State agriculture and agro-based industry committee chairman Datuk Abdul Aziz Kaprawi, said that the unit could help manufacturers to tap into the global market.
Kaprawi said many food manufacturers faced difficulty in marketing their products globally, adding that they preferred to sell their products locally.
"Many of them complain of the lack of raw materials and financial difficulties. That should not be an excuse as many of them still do not know how to properly manage their finances," he said.
He said the only international markets that local food manufacturers dared to enter were Singapore and Brunei.
Also, Kaprawi advised local food manufacturers to apply for the GMP certificate, which is a requirement to compete in the international market.
The certificate verifies that the manufacturer adheres to good hygienic practices.
"Many buyers, especially foreign ones, would doubt food produced in factories that did not have the certificate are hygienic. With this certificate, the buyers will not have such a worry," he said, adding that the certificate was issued by the Health Ministry.