KUCHING: Jepak assemblyman Datuk Talib Zulpilip hopes that with the establishment of the Sago and Nipah Development Board Bill 2022, it will increase research and planting, production of sago and downstream products.
He also said that with the Bill, it would protect the nipah plants, as part of the environment and food industry which is not fully utilised.
“Apart from that, with the establishment, it could also contribute to the food security,” he said when debating in support of the Sago and Nipah Development Board Bill, 2022 during the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting on Wednesday (Feb 16).
He said that there are few suggestions regarding the Sago industry that should be considered.
“The suggestions are such as reviving the declining sago industry, consider some form of subsidy to encourage landowners to plant sago palm in their swampy land, and review the large scale sago planting programme in the past to find out the strengths and weaknesses.
“Besides that, conduct another round of symposium on sago industry to collectively map the future of the industry.”
He added: “Often we observe when there is development of riverbanks with nipah , these environmentally valuable plant are cleared wholesale. This should stop. Incorporate nipah into the landscape.
“There must a law to stop wholesale clearing of nipah. More should be done top protect and sustain our valuable nipah.”
