KOTA BHARU, Aug 8 (Bernama) -- The Malaysia Agriculture, Horticulture and Agro-Tourism Exhibition (MAHA) 2026, from Aug 28 to Sept 6, will serve as a platform to connect innovative farmers and players in the agrifood sector with aid agencies and potential buyers from both domestic and international markets.
Agriculture and Food Security Ministry (KPKM) secretary-general Datuk Seri Isham Ishak said it could provide new value to the innovations produced, in addition to helping accelerate the commercialisation process of the products.
"Not only does it (MAHA) function to seek or provide new ideas to farmers and breeders, but those who already have new innovations and want to commercialise them can also use the various platforms provided by the agency.
"They can seek opportunities to commercialise that innovation, either on their own or by collaborating with government and private agencies," he told Bernama after attending the closing ceremony of the Road to MAHA 2026 East Zone Programme here today.
He said this is in line with the theme of MAHA 2026, which is 'Value Creation for Food Security', emphasising efforts to advance the country's agricultural sector after the 100th anniversary of MAHA in 2024.
Isham said that farmers, breeders, planters, and fishermen do not just carry out agricultural work as usual, but use innovation and modern technology to create new value and increase income.
MAHA 2026 will take place at the Malaysian Agricultural Expo Park (MAEPS) in Serdang, Selangor.
Meanwhile, head of the MAHA 2026 Secretariat Datuk Dr Mohd Haniff Hassan said that the use of modern technology is important to attract more young people to join the agriculture and food industry sectors, thereby ensuring the sustainability of these sectors in the future.
Therefore, he said MAHA 2026 will showcase technology including smart farming, vertical farming, the Internet of Things (IoT), drones and smart irrigation management systems.
"For example, the use of drones in fertilisation and smart irrigation management systems can control and monitor the flow of water to padi fields, as well as provide an early warning system to determine the water supply's ability to irrigate the padi fields," he said.
Mohd Haniff said the event also aims to finalise between 30 and 40 memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with a total value of approximately RM8 billion, in addition to targeting sales worth around RM58 million.
He said the MoUs are expected to be signed during the three-day Trade Days event from Sept 1 to 3, involving collaboration between local producers and foreign importers.
"For example, if there is a demand for durian paste or durian fruit from China, we will have cooperation between local durian producers and importers from abroad. So that value will become data for us in signing the MoU," he said.
Meanwhile, Agrobank Group chief executive officer Datuk Tengku Ahmad Badli Shah Raja Hussin said that Agrobank's participation as the main sponsor of MAHA 2026 is a manifestation of the bank's commitment to strengthening the resilience of the national agri-food sector through financial solutions that support the entire value chain of the industry.
He said Agrobank will leverage the platform to strengthen relationships with the agro community, expand access to financial solutions, and raise awareness about the role of development financial institutions in driving the transformation of the national agri-food sector.
-- BERNAMA