Sarawak government fosters agricultural sector

BINTULU: The state government will continue to collaborate with experts to create an environment that can boost the growth of the agricultural sector in Sarawak.

“We appreciate the fact that Sarawak has been recognized by the World Bank as a high-income region in Malaysia for two consecutive years.

“With this economic progress, our future looks promising. However, our objective is to translate this high income into higher household incomes. We don’t want Sarawak to be a state with a high income while its people are still struggling.

“That’s why the Sarawak government is striving to increase household incomes in the state. One of the ways we aim to achieve this is by further enhancing the agricultural sector,” said Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg in his speech at the Sarawak Agrofest 2024 inauguration held at the Old Airport in Bintulu yesterday.

Elaborating further, Abang Johari highlighted that the ministers in the state cabinet will collaborate to complete the necessary components that will shift the economic contributions of rural areas through the agricultural sector and food security.

“To make this happen, we will continue to engage with experts to establish an ecosystem that can accelerate the development of the agricultural sector,” he added.

Addressing the significance of the agricultural sector, Abang Johari emphasized the importance of rice cultivation.

“We are currently developing the first phase in the Sri Aman area, Lingga, and Stumbin, as well as in Simunjan, Gedong, and Lundu. This requires an investment of RM500 million to develop the irrigation system,” he stated.

“After completing the first phase, we will proceed with the second phase in Limbang, Lawas, and other northern areas, including Bintulu and Miri. This will also require a substantial investment of an additional RM500 million to develop the infrastructure for rice cultivation.

“In the end, our goal is to produce 400,000 metric tonnes of rice in Sarawak. We only need 240,000 metric tonnes for ourselves, and the surplus can be shared with our partners in Peninsular Malaysia. By the end of 2030, Sarawak could potentially become the largest rice producer in Malaysia,” he concluded.