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Farmers’ incomes have been steadily declining due to poor harvests caused by the climate crisis and due to being squeezed by middleman agents.

In the mid-term, the government needs to dismantle these middleman agents to ensure our farmers get the full value of their labor.

In the short-term, the government can boost our farmers’ incomes by purchasing farm waste to convert into bio-methane to generate electricity in natural gas power plants.

The government can set up a scheme to purchase agriculture and organic wastes from farmers which can be converted into bio-methane in anaerobic digesters.

Chemically, bio-methane is similar to fossil-methane (natural gas) so bio-methane can be burned in existing natural gas power stations to generate electricity.

Farmers’ poverty prevents our farmers from possessing the income surplus needed to purchase a bio-methane electricity generator.

Thus, the government should purchase farm wastes directly from farmers to be converted into bio-methane.

Bio-methane is classified as a form of renewable energy. Thus, bio-methane reduces Malaysia’s consumption of fossil-methane and contribution to the climate crisis.

We urge the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industries (MAFI) and the Ministry of Energy & Natural Resource (KeTSA) to implement this policy as renewable energy (bio-methane) can be a great help for farmers who are struggling financially.

SHARAN RAJ
Central Committee
Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM)
&
State Secretary
Parti Sosialis Malaysia Negeri Melaka (PSM)