KUCHING: The Sarawak government has to provide more land for extensive pepper cultivation to accommodate the current demand for pepper supply.
Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Datuk Zuraida Kamaruddin said that the production and exportation of pepper products must be increased as pepper has high potential to be developed further.
“More land in Sarawak should be opened up for pepper cultivation to accommodate the current demand for pepper supply.
“Another reason is to further improve the production and exportation of the country’s pepper products in order to meet the demand from foreign countries.
“Thus, we have requested to the Premier to provide more land to enable the Malaysian Pepper Board (MPB) to plant pepper in Sarawak,” she said when officiating at the SaraSpice Company Relaunch Ceremony at the SaraSpice headquarters at ICOM Square here today.
By seizing the opportunity that is available, she said pepper could become the main commodity and generate good income to the country.
“Seize the opportunity to expand the product market abroad in the hope that the pepper sector will continue to be a contributor to our nation’s economy from the agricommodity sector,” she said.