A total of RM3 million will be disbursed for the Fishermen’s Housing Special Project here, says Agriculture and Food Industries Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ronald Kiandee here, today.

He said the project would be managed by the Fisheries Development Authority of Malaysia (LKIM) to repair 200 fishermen’s houses in the district.

"LKIM has already fixed 152 fishermen’s houses at Beluran and will go on to repair another 200," he told reporters after launching the Beluran Food Industry Mini Carnival 2020, here, today.

Kiandee also disclosed that Agrobank would open a branch in Beluran town this year, and is currently in the process of acquiring a shop lot.

Meanwhile, he said the carnival was the ministry's initiative to approach the people and introduce agricultural programmes, especially in the rural areas.

According to Kiandee one of the programmes is the Youth Agropreneur Programme, with a RM20 million allocation, to help develop 1,200 young agropreneurs in the country this year.

"Up to last month, 582 applications have been approved under the Youth Agropreneur Grant, amounting to RM10.68 million, and another 344 applicants will receive RM6.67 million in grants from the ministry (in the near future)," he said.

-- BERNAMA