Minister highlights Sarawak’s food export potential

BINTULU: Datuk Seri Dr Stephen Rundi Utom has stressed Sarawak’s potential to become a food exporter to other regions of Malaysia.

The Minister for Food Industries, Commodities, and Regional Development attributed this potential to the state’s surplus demand for chicken eggs, chicken meat and pork.

“The pig farm in Selangau has been approved, apart from the pig farm that is cultivated by the private sector.

“Sarawak also has the potential to engage in exports as currently, we have excess demand for chicken eggs, broiler chickens, and pigs.

“However, rice production accounts for only 34 per cent of the local yield, with the remaining 66 per cent being imported.”

He was speaking at the Kemena Constituency Minor Rural Project (MRP) 2023 cheque handover ceremony for the Sebauh area recently.

During the same ceremony, he mentioned that many applications for the MRP were received, with most distributed last year, while the remaining assistance from the previous year would be given priority in 2024.

“All parties are eligible to receive this assistance because through the MRP, various activities such as mutual aid can be carried out.”

At the ceremony, RM457,000 was distributed to 23 recipients in the Suai and Niah areas within the Kemena assembly area, involving the Village Development and Security Committee, non-governmental organisations, the Women’s Bureau, and others.

The event was attended by Sarawak Veterinary Services Department director Datuk Dr Adrian Susin Ambud, Sarawak Agriculture director Dominic Chunggat, and Bintulu Resident Nyurak Keti.