KUCHING: Katibas assemblyman Lidam Assan aims to present a motion for the implementation of a board specifically to monitor the coffee industry in Sarawak.
However, he said, the presentation of the board must come with proper document, especially during the upcoming State Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting, scheduled for the end of this year.
“At the moment, we are working hard with some of the industry players, and other major statutory agencies here.
“Some of the agencies include the Upper Rajang Development Agency (URDA), Sarawak Energy Berhad (SEB) and other major programmes that we have in Kapit.”
He said this when met by reporters after visiting the Reka Jaya Plantation Sdn Bhd together with entourage from URDA in Kuching here on Tuesday (June 25).
“Also, at the moment, we only manage to plant only a few thousand coffee trees here in the state, so we need more for the coffee industry development.
“At the same time, the reason whywe chose coffee is because coffee is easy to plant.
“And it is also because it grows easily in our area (Kapit), on our native customary rights (NCR) land.”
He also said that developing the coffee industry in Sarawak could help tackle poverty, especially in rural areas, thus improving the socioeconomic conditions of the people here.
On another note, Lidam also encouraged farmers to implement integrated farming for coffee trees.
“This is because coffee trees can absorb carbon from the air.
“That being said, the more we plant, the more carbon they can absorb,” he added.
Also present during the visit were Pelagus assemblyman Wilson Nyabong Ijang, founder of Reka Jaya Plantation Sdn Bhd Edward C K Young and other guests.
