Local agribusinessmen registered with Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority (Fama) will be taught digital marketing to improve sales performance.
Fama director-general Abdul Rashid Bahri said the agency was committed to helping its members grow in line with global trends.
“We organise such programmes so that Fama entrepreneurs can move forward and be on par with successful businessmen in Asia.
“This new online marketing method needs to be explored by Fama businessmen as it is a growing trend among buyers in this country.
“I hope entrepreneurs can increase their income and customer reach,” he told Bernama at the launch ceremony of the “Agromarketing Masterclass Programme: TikTok Shop Edition” in Kuala Lumpur.
Abdul Rashid said the Fama pilot programme with TikTok Shop and City-Link Express could train agribusinessmen in marketing products more creatively.
He said the agency planned to hold similar training programmes in the future.
“If this programme is successful and receives good response from our entrepre-neurs, we will then hold another programme specifically for marketing through ecommerce,” he said.
TikTok Shop strategic partnerships head Nur Azre Abdul Aziz said the collaboration with Fama could help local agribusinessmen expand their sales performance and quality of products at the national level.
“So far, we have supported more than 1.3 million entrepreneurs and 98% of them run small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
“TikTok Shop’s support aims to increase the competitiveness of local entrepreneurs and make their businesses well-known, thus providing job opportunities, especially in rural areas,” she added.
The programme involved 80 registered companies.
Training groups were divided into two, with the second one involving persons with disabilities (PWD).
Trendvile Marketing entrepreneur Irwan Fairuzi Johari, 40, who is a PWD said the Fama programme could help expand his keropok and frozen food business.
“There is still a lot I need to know and I’m excited to learn because now everything – from buying spices to soy sauce – is available online.
“So, I also need to learn how to improve marketing and ad content,” said Irwan Fairuzi.