Agrobazaar Malaysia Opens Up Opportunities For SMEs In Singapore

From Rashidah Abdul Rahim SINGAPORE, May 4 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian government's initiative in opening up the Agrobazaar Malaysia at Sultan Gate here has paved the way for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to market their products in the country as well as internationally. A producer of fish-based frozen products, Noormala Ismail, 42, said the agrobazaar had enabled her company, Cahaya Mala Enterprise, to penetrate the Singapore market to sell local food of otak-otak daun nipah, popiah otak-otak and satar. She said Singapore was the second country after Brunei that Cahaya Mala Enterprise had entered. "The agrobazaar is an excellent medium for us to penetrate the Singapore market. I am confident that through it, we will be able to promote out products even more widely," she added. She told Bernama this when met after the recent launch of the Melaka Plate @ Kempen Riuh De Agrobazaar programme at the Agrobazaar Malaysia. Melaka is a state in Malaysia. It was officiated by Melaka Chief Minister, Idris Haron. Another SME entrepreneur, Kamarudin Md Dawi, 52, who runs Ar Setia Jaya Enterprise, expressed the hope that he could raise demand for his products from sales at the agrobazaar. "Our product is synonymous with Melaka and the drink can at the same time promote the state in Singapore. "Via the agrobazaar, I hope to enhance sales of the drink to 30 per cent of the overall monthly output," he added. Kamarudin expressed the hope that with his company's participation in the Agrobazaar Malaysia in Singapore, it would open up more opportunities for the export of the drink product internationally in future. A total of 15 companies from Melaka were given an opportunity to market about 43 products at the Agrobazaar Malaysia which was opened in 2014. The Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority (FAMA) board member Zurainah Musa said the agrobazaar was an important example of the government's determination to raise the image of the agriculture and agro-based industry of the country. "The Agrobazaar Malaysia in Singapore is important in respect of promoting and improving the sales of the country's agriculture and agro-based products, while assisting entrepreneurs to receive returns equal to their efforts," she added. --BERNAMA