Agriculture, fisheries must anchor Sabah’s development, says Bongawan rep

KOTA KINABALU (Dec 15): Agriculture and fisheries must remain at the heart of Sabah’s development agenda as they underpin food security, rural livelihoods and long-term economic resilience, Bongawan assemblyman Dr Daud Yusof said during the Sabah 2026 Budget debate at the State Legislative Assembly on Monday.

Speaking in support of the Supply Bill, the Warisan representative said agriculture should no longer be treated as a secondary or seasonal support sector, but repositioned as a core economic driver capable of strengthening the state’s economy and reducing reliance on food imports.

While welcoming the budget’s emphasis on agriculture, Daud said Sabah needed a more strategic and modern approach to cope with global economic shifts, supply chain disruptions and rising living costs.

Despite having fertile land, labour and market potential, he noted that the state continued to face idle agricultural land, low-scale smallholder production and heavy dependence on imported food.

He proposed elevating agriculture as a main economic sector, supported by better coordination among state agencies to reactivate idle land and promote commercial-scale, technology-driven farming.

“Agriculture today is not just about planting and harvesting. It must be integrated with supply chains, processing, marketing and exports,” he said, adding that agriculture must be placed at the forefront of development if Sabah was serious about economic growth.

Daud linked agricultural reform directly to poverty eradication, particularly in rural areas such as Bongawan, where many residents remain trapped in low incomes due to unoptimised land use, limited access to capital and markets, and unstable produce prices.

He called for cluster-based farming programmes, stronger youth participation in modern agriculture and incentives for farmers to transition to commercial-scale production, saying a competitive sector would reduce long-term dependence on government aid.

Turning to fisheries, Daud described the sector as the lifeline of Sabah’s coastal communities but said its economic value remains limited by an overemphasis on harvesting rather than downstream processing.

He urged the state government to invest in seafood processing facilities for sardines, anchovies, frozen fish and other value-added products to stabilise prices, reduce reliance on middlemen, create local jobs and boost exports.

“If agriculture guarantees food security, fisheries guarantee Sabah’s blue economy,” he said, adding that fishermen continue to lose out on profits at the processing and marketing stages.

Daud also highlighted the importance of rivers and estuaries, warning that siltation, erosion and pollution are disrupting fishing activities, agricultural drainage systems and increasing flood risks in rural villages.

He said rivers and estuaries also held potential for community-based tourism, including river cruises, recreational fishing and mangrove ecotourism, but stressed that proper maintenance and environmental protection are critical.

To address these issues, he proposed dedicated funding for regular dredging and cleaning works, ecosystem restoration and integrated inter-agency river management.