DUNGUN: The Sultan of Terengganu Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin launched the Pasir Raja Herbal Park, a Herbal Integrated Cluster Development (HICD) project in Pasir Raja here yesterday. The project is a joint venture between the East Coast Economic Region Development Council (ECERDC) and Bioalpha, a health supplement product company.
Sultan Mizan was accompanied by his sons Tengku Ismail Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin, Tengku Muhammad Mua’az Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin, Menteri Besar Dr Ahmad Shamsuri Mokhtar, State Secretary Datuk A Rahman Yahya, Bioalpha Holdings Berhad chairman Tan Sri Abdul Rahman Mamat and ECERDC chief executive officer Datuk Seri Jebasingam Issace John.
Earlier in his speech, Abdul Rahman said since 2015, the 406 hectare-park had been planted with 20 varieties of herbal plants and the project had produced 32 satellite herbal growers in the district. The plant varieties include Tongkat Ali, Kacip Fatimah, Misai Kucing, Hempedu Bumi, Dukung Anak, Pecah Beling and Mas Cotek.
“Through this project, the satellite farmers can become successful agriculture entrepreneurs through a pay-back system which provides them with a reasonable income while at the same time, develop the state economy,” he said.
Abdul Rahman added that more than 50 people from the local community were employed in the project including as general clerks, nursery operators and planters. “In future, more than 200 jobs are expected to be generated after the herbal park is fully developed by 2020, thus helping to reduce the unemployment rate in the state,” he said. – BERNAMA
