KUCHING: Government intervention is needed in order to transform the sago industry and thus enhances the competitiveness of the smallholders.
The matter was told by Welfare, Community Well Being, Women, Family and Childhood Development Minister Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah, in view of the nonexistence of the sago board.
According to her, this is a request from the smallholders for a governing board to be formed in regulating and managing the produce yield, as the industry is one of the contributors to the state’s economy.
She pointed out unlike other crops which have their own governing board such as rubber, pepper, cocoa, pineapple to name a few; however, sago on the other hand has yet to have its own governing board.
Fatimah said this during a press conference after receiving a courtesy call by a delegation from the Craun Research Sdn Bhd (a government-linked company) that is involved in conducting Sarawak’s sago industrial research activities at the her office at Baitulmakmur yesterday.
As such, sago is synonymous with Sarawakians especially those in Mukah, which is the main contributor for the said industry, with 40,642 hectare of sago palm plantation operated by smallholders from the 46,768 hectare total plantation area statewide.
Fatimah noted that the sago palm trees are signified as a ‘bank’ (having its value) for the smallholders, especially those who would want to fund their children education, weddings as well as other items. The smallholders will cut down their sago trees to be sold to the mills and get the money to fund their activities.
Meanwhile, Craun Research CEO Zaidell Hussaini said by having its own governing board, this would enable the board manage and develop the industry and provide welfare to the smallholders.
“This is to create competitiveness towards the smallholders as Sarawak is the only exporter for sago in the world. Currently statistics show 60 percent of its sago is exported to Peninsula Malaysia, followed by 30 percent to Japan and the remaining 10 percent to various domestic and international markets.
He also pointed that the commodity price of sago has gone up three folds over the past ten years from RM700 to RM800 per tonne to about RM2,000 per tonne following the high demand of the product.
Therefore, enormous effort has been made through the Sago Smallholder Satellite Estate Development Programme (SSSED) to spearhead the sago cultivation especially through estate plantation.
Modern planting method is introduced which integrates well with the traditional method to produce sago of high yield.
