MARUDI: Agricultural festivals (Agrofests) will be held in all major towns in the state this year so that the people can learn about modern commercial farming in an effort to transform the agricultural sector.
Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah said yesterday the festivals would also enable farmers to sell their produce.
He said this at the closing of the just-concluded two-day Baram Agrofest yesterday.
Uggah who is Modernisation of Agriculture, Native Land and Regional Development Minister, said his ministry and related agencies would showcase the successes, new products and new technologies achieved so far in the agricultural sector.
He said the transformation was very necessary to enable Sarawak to be a net exporter of food products by 2030.
“We also desire to help the rural people increase their monthly income to RM4,000 so as to eradicate the remnant of poverty in the state,” he said.
He said Sarawak had vast potentials due to its vast land and, coupled with modern commercial agriculture and its hardworking farmers, community, it could do very well.
According to Uggah the state has very huge potentials in the cultivation of pineapples, bananas, durians, coconuts and coffee besides doing livestock farming, bird’s nest ranching and “kelulut” honey production.
“There are already huge demands for these products from other countries like China and Singapore,” he said.
He added that the government too was encouraging farmers to diversify their crops so that they would not be easy victims of price fluctuations in the market like if they solely depended on a single crop.
The government, he said, is in the process of introducing fertigation and hydroponic farming methods, especially to younger farmers.
“The advantage is they do not require a lot of manpower while the usage of the Internet of Things (IoT) can help manage the farms properly to enhance productivity,” he said.
He said some farmers are using drones to do watering of crops and spraying of fertilisers.
On marketing, one of the major banes faced, the government now has the anchor company concept where established exporters would help.
These companies he said had internationally certified processing plants and the international market links.
To help local farmers, Uggah said their organisations would buy all their surplus fruits and send them to the collection, processing and packaging centres or CPPC for the anchor companies to buy and collect.
In relation to this, Uggah said the government would consider setting up CPPCs in Marudi and Beluru.
He added the government would consider setting up an Agropark in Baram area to help interested but landless farmers.
At the function Uggah presented prizes to winners in an agricultural competition in various fields and held as part of the celebration.
He also handed over Munsang King saplings to representatives from eight districts in Miri Division.
The government spent RM1 million to buy 37,000 saplings for distribution.
Assistant Minister of Agriculture Dr Abdul Rahman Ismail and Local Government And Housing Assistant Minister Dr Penguang Manggil and the state Agriculture director Dr Alvin Chai, Baram member of parliament Anyie Ngau, DUN Deputy Speaker Dato Gerawat Gala, and Telang Usang assemblyman Dennis Ngau were present at the function.
Bintulu Division will host the next agrofest from April 26 to 29.
