Article: Boost for agro-tourism

Tuesday August 11, 2009

By ANN TAN

THE Penang Government is planning to turn the Relau Agriculture Centre into an agriculture technology complex which will benefit the agro-tourism or agro-recreational activities.

State Agriculture, Agro-based Industries, Rural Development and Flood Mitigation Committee chairman Law Choo Kiang said the state economic planning unit has recently closed a ten-der which attracted various re-search firms bidding for the pro- ject.

"We are in the midst of selecting the (ideal) research company and we will take another three to six months to complete the feasibility study," he said after launching the Relau Agriculture Centre open day on Sunday.

Law said the complex would be equipped with facilities to teach people modern agricultural techniques such as culture tissue and the cloning of the different varieties of durians.

"We also hope to open the Relau Agriculture Centre for public to come in with their families and jog around the centre or catch the fishes or perhaps sit under the trees to taste the different species of durian.

Law and Abdul Nasir (left) visiting one of the booths during the Relau Agriculture Centre open day.

"These may be nothing special for farmers but there are many living in the city who have never seen a durian tree nor a fish-rearing pond," he said.

Law said the centre could also be upgraded into a state agriculture park.

He said although the strategically located centre had become a target for housing developers, he would not allow such plans in order to preserve the centre.

Earlier, state Agriculture De-partment director Abdul Nasir Hasan said he hoped the centre could regain its glory in the 80s when the families would visit the centre during weekends and purchase plants.

"Our objective of the open day is to introduce the centre to the public and create the awareness for the centre to remain as a green lung," he said.

"We also hope to stir the public's interest in agriculture as the sector promises a lucrative income."

This article was taken from: The Star Online: Metro: North 11 August 2009