KUCHING: Tarat constituency has the potential to become the state’s main producer and exporter of durian fruits, said its assemblyman Datuk Roland Sagah Wee Inn.
The assistant minister of Native Land Development is actively encouraging his constituents to plant more durian trees.
“My focus now is to turn Tarat into a durian plantation hub, apart from producing and exporting other types of fruits.
“I encourage our people to plant durians, not just Musang King but other species of good durians,” he said in an interview with New Sarawak Tribune.
He noted that Tarat already has a processing centre to process durian paste for export and also a packaging centre.
There is also a centre set up to process durian nugget, durian pizza, durian cakes and other end products of durians.
“These activities provide huge opportunities for our people and there are huge potentials in the industry which our people must take advantage of and benefit from,” Roland said.
He said besides providing durian seedlings to farmers, the state Agriculture Department has also embarked on rehabilitation of old durian orchards.
Under the programme, farmers will be supplied with fertiliser and pesticides, and the project will be monitored by experts from the Agriculture Department.
Roland said Tarat constituency was already the main producer and supplier of agriculture produce for Kuching markets.
