KUALA LUMPUR: Nutribah aims to address the agriculture sector's wastage in Sabah to less than five per cent from the current 30 per cent in the next six months, as it addresses the issue of distribution under its recent partnership with Lazada Malaysia.
Nutribah executive director Preston Sean Soh said agro-food producers often faced challenges in market access, particularly in Sabah and Sawarak.
"The main contributor to this wastage was the poor distribution system, particularly in reaching the rural area in east Malaysia. Under our partnership with Lazada, we aim to address this by increasing the efficiency of distribution, connecting with the last-mile deliveries as well as improving communications between the farmers and the consumers.
"Through the partnership, fresh food producers in Sabah are able to directly sell their produce and products to customers at a reduced cost on Lazada while Nutribah offers logistics services for buyers. This provides Sabahan farmers with a more stable income stream," he said during a media briefing on the partnership here today.
Last week, Lazada announced its partnership with Nutribah to support and stimulate the digitalisation of Sabah's agriculture sector.
Chief operating officer Darren Rajaratnam said the partnership aimed to address the scarcity of appropriate distribution channels for Sabahan farmers to sell their crops and products, in time for the East Malaysia harvest festival.
"Empowering agribusinesses in Sabah, the partnership will help Nutribah to take the leap to digital commerce by providing them with a direct channel to sell produce online and reach out to the more than one-third of Malaysians shopping on Lazada.
"Through the partnership, Lazada provides support to local agriculture businesses like Nutribah through Lazada University, while enabling them to generate more income, gain exposure, capture market share and future-proof their livelihoods," Darren said.
Across Sabah and Sarawak, Lazada said it was working with Nutribah and third-party logistics providers to expand the geographical coverage for delivery to rural areas while expanding payment options like cash on delivery to cater to buyers' needs.
Meanwhile, shoppers in Sarawak, Sabah and Labuan can enjoy exclusive free shipping vouchers, in conjunction with Hari Gawai and Kaamatan Festival, and as part of the 6.6 Gen Gaya Sale from May 27 to June 2.
It was aimed to drive traffic and boost revenue for East Malaysian sellers including Nutribah, Sabah Tea and EAcommerce.
Source: https://www.nst.com.my/business/2022/06/801672/nutribah-eyes-drastic-agri-wastage-cut-lazadas-help