KUCHING: Sarawak will continue to collaborate with established companies to further develop its agricultural sector, said Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas. He added that it was vital to generate more revenue for the state and its people, create job opportunities and other economic multipliers. “Sarawak aims to be a net exporter of food by 2030.
One of the initiatives toward this end is through close collaboration with private sectors that have the technology, management expertise, capital and ready access markets at both the domestic and global arenas,” said Uggah. He added that the state needed the investment injection from private sector into its economy through agriculture sector.
“We shall transform the agriculture sector through modernisation and commercialisation along with the whole supply and value chain, adopting new business models with the application of latest production technology and leveraging on ICT and digital technology,” he said. Uggah expressed his confidence that the state could be a net exporter as it still had the land needed while its people had proven themselves to be hardworking and there were many local entrepreneurs ready to take up the challenges and opportunities.
“Logistically too, we have improved through sea, air and land transports,” he said. Meanwhile, three Memoranda of Understanding were signed between three food companies and the State government which was represented by the Agriculture Department at Wisma Bapa Malaysia in Petra Jaya here yesterday.
The companies that signed the MoUs were Banana Tree Sdn Bhd for the development of banana industry, Saramanis Sdn Bhd for pineapple and Sea Horse Corporation for shrimp.
Director of the Agriculture Department Dr Alvin Chai Lian Kuet and his deputy Ngap Dollah Salam signed on behalf of the State government while Banana Tree Sdn Bhd was represented by its Chief Executive Officer, Tho Tze Bing and General Manager, Thomas Lato, Saramanis Sdn Bhd by its Chairman, Datu Robert Lian and Executive Director, Jason Jong Tze Yun, and Executive Directors Lee Choon Kheng and Sim Jin Tong signed for Sea Horse Corporation.
Also present were Assistant Minister for Native Land Development, Datuk Roland Sagah Wee Inn, Assistant Minister for Agriculture, Dr Abdul Rahman Ismail and Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Modernisation of Agriculture, Native Land and Regional Development, Datu Ik Pahon Joyik.
