TEMERLOH: The overwhelming turnout at the inaugural Malaysia Agriculture, Horticulture and Agrotourism Exhibition (MAHA) Pahang has prompted the state government to make it an annual event.
Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail said the four-day event, also known as mini-MAHA Pahang, had so far attracted about 100,000 visitors, surpassing the initial target of 50,000.
“We never imagined hosting a mini-MAHA exhibition, but the event has received strong support from people across the state, as well as visitors from other areas,” he said.
“The initial plan was to hold mini-MAHA once every two years so it would not coincide with the national-level MAHA in Serdang.
“Due to the strong response, it will now be held again next year as a full-fledged event, no longer a mini-MAHA”, he added.
Wan Rosdy said next year’s event would be on a larger scale with more traders participating.
He said the venue had yet to be decided, but it could be in Lipis, Raub, or Kuantan.
He said MAHA Pahang served as an excellent platform to promote a wide range of products from across the state.
“Some of these products are little-known, and the exhibition helps downstream products expand to a wider audience,” he said.
The current mini-MAHA, aimed at actively promoting agricultural and agro-based industry products across the state, attracted the participation of 100 entrepreneurs.
It is expected to generate an estimated RM1.2 million in sales.
In his earlier speech, Wan Rosdy said the Agriculture Census 2024 recorded Pahang as the country’s second-highest contributor to agricultural sales in 2023, generating RM25 billion, behind Johor.
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