Abg Johari: Sarawak’s agro-sector no longer a subsistence economy

BINTULU (July 12): Sarawak has stepped up from subsistence farming to a commercial one that is driven by adoption of new technology and innovation, said Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg.

According to him, this was the reason why the state government had decided to rename the Ministry of Agriculture and Regional Development to the Ministry of Food Industry, Commodity and Regional Development (M-FICORD).

“What the Sarawak government is trying to do is to change the whole perception of our agriculture and that it is no longer a sector for the ‘orang susah’ or ‘orang miskin’ (poor and needy); instead. It’s a sector for all ‘usahawan tani’ (agropreneurs).”

He said this at the closing of the Congress on Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security (COSAFS) at ParkCity Everly Hotel here today.

Abang Johari also emphasised the needs for the state’s agriculture to move forward and for such transformation, he highlighted the three main components for it to work: technology, infrastructure, and excess market.

The sustainable farming methods to increase productivity, he said, would be enhanced with the application of technology, and Internet of Things (IoT), which would include innovation in agricultural machinery and farming methods.

On Sarawak’s rice production and the self-sufficiency in years to come, Abang Johari said the government had identified 3,000 hectares of land and would allocate RM500 million to develop irrigation infrastructure for the paddy cultivation.

“Although it will cost a lot, the Sarawak government is willing to invest in it,” he stressed.

At the event, Abang Johari also witnessed the exchange of memorandum of understanding (MoU) documents between the Agriculture Department and University Putra Malaysia (UPM).

Also present were M-FICORD minister Dato Sri Dr Stephen Rundi Utom and his deputy Datuk Dr Abdul Rahman Ismail, and State Secretary Datuk Amar Mohamad Abu Bakar Marzuki.