SIBU: Residents in the Oya-Pakoh and Sekuau Stem Areas are encouraged to venture into the MD2 pineapple cultivation.
Oya-Pakoh Bar and Area Development Association chairman Cr Henry Kanyan Vincent Rawing said pineapples had high demand in the local as well as international markets.
“I urge people in rural areas, especially in Batang Oya-Pakoh and Sekuau areas, to venture into pineapple cultivation, as well as other commodity crops such as oil palm, pepper and so on,” he said.
He said this to reporters at the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Alrawda Venture for MD2 pineapple cultivation involving 2,000 acres of land in Ulu Oya and Batang Oya areas last Sunday.
The memorandum was signed between Kanyan and Alrawda Venture representative Mohamad Bakhtiar Affendi.
The event was witnessed by Selangau District Officer Henry Inting Nyami representing Tamin assemblyman Christopher Gira Sambang.
Commenting further, Inting, who is also PRS Youth Exco member, said the project involved 1,095 participants comprising Native Customary Rights (NCR) owners, covering an area of more than 16 areas.
“This MOU will allow landowners to manage and grow their own pineapple on their land and subsequently sell the produce to Alrawda Venture company,” he said.
A community leader of the area, Penghulu Andrewson Ngalai Asom, said the Ulu Oya and Batang Oya areas would become high-quality pineapple producers once the MD2 pineapple cultivation project commenced.
“It not only develops the agricultural industry among the locals, but most importantly stimulates the economy through commercial cultivation of pineapple,” he said.
