KUCHING: It is hoped that the Sago and Nipah Development Board, once established, would serve as a platform to promote research and development on sago and nipah so that more products can be derived, diversifying Sarawak’s economic activities.
In saying this, Abdul Yakub Arbi (GPS-Balingian) also hoped that the board would optimise its position by appointing those who know the industry well and would be able to impart their ideas and translate them into reality, which would benefit the industry as a whole.
“Sago is a lucrative industry, where its world market price has been not less than RM2,000 per tonne for the last five years.
“With its promising future, the move to table this Bill will bring Sarawak in the right direction to develop this industry,” he said when debating in support of the Sago and Nipah Development Board Bill, 2022 during the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting today.
He said the tabling of this Bill had been timely as Sarawak was moving towards diversifying its economic activities, particularly in achieving its vision of becoming a developed high-income state by 2030.
He pointed out that the sago and nipah industry had been on the radar of the state government’s development plan for some time, since the tenure of Tun Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud, who was then Chief Minister and now Head of State.
Abdul Yakub said Taib’s determination to transform the industry was reflected way back in 1993 when he announced that about 20,000 hectares of land in Sarawak would be used to start large-scale sago plantation.
“Our present Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg continued with this novel effort and he was actually the one who mooted the idea for the formation of a board to oversee the industry’s development.
“With the dedication shown by our leadership to see that our rakyat’s livelihood would be transformed through a more systematic approach, I believe this Bill, upon it being passed by this august House, would pave the way to the formation of an official body which is empowered to regulate every aspect of these commodities’ development,” he said.
He said that based on the latest statistics from the Agriculture Department, there were about 32,000 smallholders involved in the sago industry in Sarawak, particularly in Pusa, Igan, Dalat, Mukah, and Balingian.
“The Land Custody and Development Authority (LCDA) has also developed about 1,000 hectares of land, engaging over 5,000 smallholders in Sebakong and Dalat, while another 5,812 smallholders were involved in Sago Smallholders Satellite Estate Development,” said Abdul Yakub.
