S’wak Agrofest exceeds expectations, records sales of over RM5 million

BINTULU (July 22): The annual Sarawak Agrofest being held here this year had surpassed all expectations, recording over 450,000 visitors and generating sales exceeding RM5 million.

In announcing this, Minister of Food Industry, Commodity and Regional Development Dato Sri Dr Stephen Rundi Utom was happy to see the vibrant atmosphere at the festival, with enthusiastic participation from the exhibitors and the visitors.

Previously held in Kuching, this year’s event kicked off on July 12, and concluded yesterday.

“The exhibitors reported that their stocks were sold out within the first two days, prompting them to return to their respective areas to replenish the supplies.

“The success of Sarawak Agrofest 2024 is a testament to the growing interest and engagement in agricultural activities among the local population,” said Dr Rundi in his speech for the closing ceremony.

Adding on, the Kemena assemblyman said the primary goal of the programme was to bring agriculture closer to the people, improve their well-being, and also boost the local economy.

In this aspect, he said despite Sarawak’s aim of become a high-income economy, many rural areas in the state had yet to experience the benefits.

As such, he said initiatives like the e-Tani, which involved the registration and profiling of over 15,000 genuine farmers, were set up towards achieving this high-income goal.

“For the record, there are over 3,000 farmers registered under e-Tani participating in the Agrofest here, highlighting the platform’s effectiveness.”

Dr Rundi thus called upon all elected representatives to emphasise the importance of using e-Tani to monitor and assist the farmers, ensuring that government resources would be utilised efficiently.

“The focus now is on establishing successful farmers who can influence their communities and adopt new technologies to enhance their productivity.”

He said even with 80 per cent of farmers revenues currently deriving from oil palm, there was a push to diversify into other valuable crops like guava, which could fetch pricing of RM8 per kilogramme, or RM8,000 per metric tonne.

“The ministry is working towards developing industries around seasonal fruits to stabilise the prices and add value through downstream processing,” he added.

At the event, Dr Rundi also highlighted several success stories of local entrepreneurs who took their own initiatives in venturing into dowstream activities and utilising new technologies.

“These initiatives demonstrate the importance of not solely relying on government plans, but also finding ways to facilitate industry growth especially with the setting up relevant boards in rubber, pineapple, sago and nipah (palm) sectors to guide the farmers.

“In this regard, I cite Taiwan as an example: with its smaller land area, Taiwan serves as an inspiration for Sarawak to become a net food exporter.

“The status of the farming communities in developed countries is higher, and Sarawak aims to change the perception and profitability in agriculture.”

On Agrofest, Dr Rundi said Sibu would host it next year, with the plan of engaging the smaller districts and also longhouses through the Agriculture Community Outreach Programme (AgriCOP).

“The focus will be on realistic crop ventures and attracting youths to this agriculture sector through mechanisation, technology and knowledge,” he said.

Meanwhile in his remarks, Bintulu Resident Nyurak Keti said this division was chosen as Sarawak Agrofest host this time in view of the local community’s strong cooperation with the organisers, their good values, high purchasing power, and also the presence of heavy industry players.

“Bintulu’s strategic location also makes it an ideal choice for hosting such a significant event. Agrofest provided an excellent opportunity for the Bintulu community to generate extra income.  The local hotels are fully booked, reflecting the event’s substantial economic impact on the community.

“However, with over 200 booths, the festival is not just about generating income; it is also about promoting products, with many new entrepreneurs participating and established business owners seeking for expansions.

“The participants from Sabah and Peninsular Malaysia are also showcasing their products, making Agrofest a valuable platform for promotion.”

Other dignitaries who were present yesterday were Minister in Premier’s Department Dato Sri John Sikie Tayai, as well as Food Industry, Commodity and Regional Development deputy ministers Datuk Dr Abdul Rahman Ismail and Datuk Martin Ben.