Pantai Damai rep pushes revival of weekly farmers’ market in Kuching for affordable fresh food

Visitors browsing through fresh produce at the Jualan Agro Sarawakku Sayang programme held at Esplanade Gersik in Kuching on May 24, 2026. Photo: Ukas

By DayakDaily Team

KUCHING, May 24: Deputy Minister in the Sarawak Premier’s Department Datuk Dr Abdul Rahman Junaidi has pushed for the revival of weekly farmers’ markets in Kuching to provide residents with greater access to fresh food products at affordable prices.

According to a Sarawak Public Communication Unit (Ukas) report, the Pantai Damai assemblyman said Esplanade Gersik was once the site of a weekly farmers’ market organised by the Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority (Fama), and proposed its revival to continue benefiting local communities, especially residents in the riverbank areas of Kuching.

“I hope Fama, together with the Ministry of Food Industry, Commodity, and Regional Development and other agencies, including the Kuching North City Commission (DBKU), can organise programmes like this more frequently.

“Seven or eight years ago, this site was the venue for Fama’s weekly farmers’ market. Reviving such programmes would help residents obtain fresh food products at reasonable prices,” he said after officiating the JASS programme at Esplanade Gersik here today.

Therefore, he said that discussions would be held with Fama to explore the possibility of holding the programme regularly on a monthly or quarterly basis.

Other than offering affordable food supplies, such initiatives could also strengthen engagement between government agencies and local communities.

At the same time, he also proposed that the Jualan Agro Sarawakku Sayang (JASS) programme should be reintroduced on a regular basis in Kuching.

Meanwhile, Dr Abdul Rahman, who is also Pantai Damai assemblyman, urged residents to participate in urban farming and community agriculture programmes organised by DBKU.

He elaborated that growing vegetables and other crops at home could help households reduce food expenses while promoting self-sufficiency, as well as contribute to food security while increasing public awareness of the importance of agriculture in urban settings. — DayakDaily