Tawau poised to become Sabah’s agricultural hub, says minister

TAWAU (Jan 24): Tawau has strong potential to emerge as a key agricultural hub in Sabah, given its highly fertile soil, which is recognised as among the best in the state, said State Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Industry Datuk Jamawi Jaafar.

He said Tawau ranks first as the most fertile area in Sabah, followed by Tenom, giving both districts a significant advantage in the development of agriculture driven by technology and innovation.

“For your information, the most fertile land in Sabah is in Tawau, followed by Tenom. With advancements in technology and the use of new planting materials, we are confident that the agricultural sector in Tawau and Sabah will continue to grow,” he told reporters after officiating at the Tawau Agriculture and Aquaculture Exhibition (TAAE) 2026 at the Tawau Community Hall here on Thursday.

Running from Jan 23 to 25, the exhibition features 50 booths and serves as an important platform to showcase the latest technologies, innovations and new products in the agriculture and fisheries sectors in the district.

Jamawi said the exhibition highlights a wide range of modern agricultural and fisheries technologies, as well as new food products developed through the guidance of his ministry and the State Ministry of Industrial Development and Entrepreneurship.

“Today, we officiated the agriculture and aquaculture exhibition for the Tawau Parliament constituency, with the participation of 50 booths, most of which are showcasing the latest technologies and developments in agriculture and fisheries,” he said.

According to him, the exhibition also provides opportunities for local entrepreneurs to introduce new products developed through government agency support and mentoring programmes.

“I would like to congratulate all entrepreneurs and players in the agriculture and fisheries industries in Tawau for sharing their successes, new products and technologies produced in this area,” he said.

Meanwhile, Jamawi highlighted the potential of new crops, particularly the QAV1 avocado variety, now known as Avocado Quoin Sabah, developed through research at the Quoin Hill Agricultural Research Station in Tawau.

“This variety was previously known as QAV1 and, starting August last year, we renamed it Avocado Quoin Sabah to be promoted under the Department of Agriculture,” he said.

He said the avocado variety has quality comparable to, and even better than, imported varieties, giving it strong potential for the export market.

“The produce is high quality, with a rich, sweet and creamy taste, averaging about 500g per fruit. Its ripening period is about a week after harvest and it is suitable for export as it has a longer shelf life,” he said.

Jamawi noted that demand for avocados and MD2 pineapples from Sabah is increasing, but the current supply remains insufficient to meet market needs.

“Recently, a company requested one container of avocados per month and five containers of MD2 pineapples, but at present Sabah can only produce about two containers a month,” he said.

To address this, he said the Department of Agriculture is providing seedlings and planting materials to assist farmers and encourage greater community participation in agriculture, including through the implementation of the ‘Kebun Dapur’ Initiative.

“For those who have yet to start, begin on a small scale through the ‘Kebun Dapur’ Initiative, which will be launched on Feb 15, complete with starter packages for agricultural activities around the home,” he said.

Once confident in the potential returns, farmers can then apply for full assistance from the Department of Agriculture and related agencies, he added.

Jamawi said that although the QAV1 avocado variety originates from Tawau, the planted area in the district remains small at less than 10 hectares, compared to larger acreages in Keningau and Tenom.

“We encourage more people in Tawau to plant QAV1 avocados as the suitability of this variety is indeed in this area,” he said.

He also advised farmers to select crop varieties that meet market demand to avoid losses, while stressing a target of planting 50,000 avocado trees to meet export market requirements.

“At present, we are unable to meet demand due to a shortage of cultivation. That is why promotion and support from the Department of Agriculture continue to be intensified,” he said.

According to him, all departments and agencies under the ministry will be mobilised to promote agricultural initiatives in every district and parliamentary constituency to further strengthen Sabah’s agricultural sector as a whole.

Also present were Kalabakan MP Datuk Andi Muhammad Suryady Bandy; State Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Industry permanent secretary Datuk Leonard Stephen Poyong; representative of the Tawau Municipal Council president, Disah Dulamit; TAAE organising chairman and Impact Zone Sdn Bhd general manager Benjamin Lo; and several department general managers.

Jamawi also visited Sakinah Aquaculture Sdn Bhd and Wanfah Prosper, conducted site inspections of projects under Sabah Urban Development Corporation Sdn Bhd, and toured a seaweed processing factory.