KUALA LUMPUR, March 8 (Bernama) -- Mara and Malaysian Agriculture ResearchInstitute (Mardi), Tuesday inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) aimedat boosting quality of food and agriculture products of Mara-trainedentrepreneurs.

Entrepreneur Development and Cooperative Minister Datuk Mohamed KhaledNordin said the programme would start next month.

Under the MoU, the entrepreneurs would utilise Mardi's expertise andresearch findings to upgrade their product quality, he said.

"It is Mara's aspiration to work towards bringing the entrepreneurs closerto using technologies to enhance their business prospects and productquality," he told reporters after witnessing the MoU signing.

Khaled said his ministry had allocated RM4 million this year to trainentrepreneurs to produce high quality food products using latesttechnology.

He said entrepreneurs for the programme would be picked from among diplomaand degree holders.

To ensure promising candidates were chosen, he said, only 25 people wouldbe selected from 400 applicants.

He urged cooperatives, especially those involved in the technology andproduct commercialisation, to participate in the programme as they had theassets and financial means to build on Mardi's research findings.

Under the MoU, Mardi offers five specialised fields, including thetechnology for commercialisation of animal feed derived from oil palmfronds.

-- BERNAMA