Mohd Uzir scouping up mussels off Kampung Kuala Masai, Johor. The state topped the list as the largest mussel producer in the country, from which farmers would find the 2024 Agriculture Census vital.
JOHOR BARU: The 2024 Agriculture Census surveyed 193,095 households and 3,134 business establishments that have engaged in agricultural activities in Johor on Aug 9.
A day earlier, a total of 71,842 households (36.6%) and 613 business establishments (19.6%) were successfully accounted for.
The census, which is currently being conducted by the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM), was launched on July 7 nationwide and is expected to be accounted for on Oct 10.
On this occasion, Agriculture Census commissioner Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin joined Johor deputy commissioner (technical) Mazreha Ya’akub, supervisors and census takers as they surveyed mussel farmers in Kampung Kuala Masai, Johor Baru.
Also present was the Orang Asli Development Department (JAKOA) for the state of Johor, director Faisal Long.
The state topped the list as the largest mussel producer in the country, with an annual production of more than 2,000mt and an export value of RM4.7mil.
Besides Johor Baru, Mohd Uzir also monitored census activities in the districts of Muar, Tangkak, Kulai and Batu Pahat.
The 2024 Agriculture Census residency programme involving agencies from the agriculture sector and district offices was held in all districts in Johor.
All agencies involved during these sessions welcomed the implementation of the census, acting as facilitators to assist in the coordination and execution of the census in the field.
According to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) report, the Johor’s agriculture sector contributed 11.6% to the state’s income, with an added value of RM17.21bil.
The crops subsector was the largest contributor to the agriculture sector in the state, accounting for 67.88%, followed by livestock with 25.36% and fisheries at 6.59% last year.
The census plays a vital role in the country’s planning and development by providing necessary information to create agricultural indicators for socio-economic purposes.
With the information collected through the census, the Government can make better decisions in planning and implementing agricultural policies, particularly for Johor.
The 2024 Agriculture Census also helps to identify and measure the progress of the national agriculture sector, including crops, livestock, fisheries, forestry and logging.
The information obtained from this census can also be used to monitor and evaluate the impact of agricultural programmes that have been implemented.
It will also assist in devising steps to enhance the productivity and sustainability of the agriculture sector.
The success of the 2024 Agriculture Census requires the cooperation of all household entrepreneurs, institutions and organisations involved in agricultural activities.
DOSM had launched OpenDOSM NextGen as a platform providing data catalogues and visualisations to facilitate users in analysing various data, accessible via the portal open.dosm.gov.my.
Visit www.myagricensus.gov.my for more information.
The theme is “Agriculture Census: The Key to Agricultural Progress.”
The Government has declared Oct 20 each year as the National Statistics Day (MyStats Day). The theme this year is “Statistics, the pulse of life”.
DOSM celebrates its 75th Diamond Jubilee anniversary this year.
