KUCHING: The setting up of the Sago and Nipah Development Board helps to promote the cultivation, commercialisation and marketing of sago and nipah in Sarawak.
Tanjung Batu assemblyman Johnny Pang, in supporting the the Sago and Nipah Development Bill, 2022, said the both sago and nipah has the potential to generate more economic income for the state as it can be used for various productions.
“In recent years, Sarawak has become the leading producer of sago starch and one of the largest exporters of sago products in the world.
“Annually, Sarawak’s exports of sago products are about 25,000 tons. This figure is expected to increase in the coming years as there is an increasing demand for sago starch.
“This will result not only increase in production but also increase the amount of waste generated. Some research have been conducted to produce methane gas from sago waste.
“In fact, there are many other uses of sago. It is also a staple food. It is also used in biomedical and pharmaceutical applications and in the food industry,” said Pang when debating on the Sago and Nipah Development Board (SNDB) Bill, 2022 during the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) today.
He added that nipah palm has vast economic potentials for many uses such as for roof thatching, wall partitioning, making of hats and mats, producing Nipah sugar, medicinal purposes, bio- ethanol production and others, and the most common demand is the sugar-rich sap.
In addition to that, both sago and nipah have shown to have big economic potentials which can contribute to the economic growth as well as generating more jobs and business opportunities, he pointed out.
“The establishment of the board will enable the growth, cultivation, production and quality control of sago and nipah as well as their sustainable development.
“It is therefore imperative that our state government to establish a proper body to facilitate and help the cultivation, development and sustainable growth of the industry,” he said in supporting the Bill.
He noted that under the Bill, there is a special provision empowering the board on governing the development area.
He also pointed out the Bill also has a specific provision on the declaration of nipah area, adding that adequate provisions have been provided in the Bill to cover the regulatory control and development of both sago and nipah.
“With the enactment of the Sago and Nipah Development Bill, it is hoped that sago and nipah will be developed in a commercial scale and support and assistance can be given to those in the cultivation and development of sago and nipah.
“The board should also carry out research and development of new products from sago and nipah.
“It is fervently hoped that with proper research and development, Sarawak will be able to produce new products, including downstream activities, thus creating more jobs and business,” said Pang.
He also propose that the board should setup a Sago and Nipah Research Centre in Sarawak.
