BELAIT 23RD JANUARY 2006: The executive committee members of NDP’s Bureau for Agriculture and Agro-based Industry (PIAT) met up in Kuala Belait this morning to discuss on a new strategy to make the bureau more efficient and effective in implementing its action plans for year 2007.

The meeting was held at NDP’s Belait Liaison Office. Awang Haji Matzin Saleh, the Head of PIAT chaired the meeting. Awang Mahmud Shahrani Othman, a senior committee member of PIAT and several other committee members from Bandar were also present at the meeting with PIAT committee members in Belait.

Awang Haji Matzin in his opening remarks stressed on the need for PIAT to fine tune its organisation structure so as to ensure efficiency in the bureau, especially in its mission to support and assist His Majesty’s Government to develop agricultural sector and agro-based industry in the country.

Among others PIAT would continue to provide leadership in efforts to facilitate the progress and development of padi planters, farmers and entrepreneurs in the agricultural sector and in the agro-based downstream industry, said Awang Haji Matzin.

However we need to identify our weakness and shortcoming first and rectify those weak areas so that we could provide better services to our members.

We need to ensure that PIAT could carry out its mission efficiently and implements its work programs for the year 2007 more effectively, added Awang Haji Matzin.

According to Haji Matzin last year saw PIAT, with limited capacity, successfully implemented various programs and activities within a short period of time.

Among others, said Haji Matzin, PIAT was able to introduce a new breed of paddy called ‘Marhani’ to some of its farming members. The objective was to introduce to them twice a year paddy harvesting system that could help them produce more rice, said the bureau chief.

He said PIAT with the cooperation of Agrinduz Sdn Bhd also introduced mechanization system of paddy plantation and provide consultation services to paddy planters and farmers.

In addition, Haji Matzin said last year PIAT in cooperation with Agrinduz also organised a study trip to Kuala Lumpur for 40 members of NDP.

The delegations attended the MAHA 2006, the biggest-ever agricultural expo organized by the Malaysian government and they also made a study trip to several paddy plantations and fish farms operated by some successful Malaysian entrepreneurs, said Awang Haji Matzin.

He said this year PIAT has drawn up many more programs and activities that geared towards facilitating the progress and development of small and medium entrepreneurs and industries in the agricultural sector.

“To ensure smooth and efficient running of the programs and activities we need to firstly fine tune our organisation structure and improve on our delivery system”, he concluded.