KUCHING: Six major agricultural companies from Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia have declared their interest to participate in Sarawak’s Bebuling Agropark project in Spaoh, Betong Division, Southern Sarawak.
According to Sarawak Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, these companies specialise in modern agriculture, ranging from vegetable and fruit farming to poultry and crayfish rearing.
“These companies can serve as anchor entities and welcome contract farmers to work alongside with them. They will also share modern farming techniques and provide planting and breeding materials to the farmers.
“Currently, we are considering three of the six companies for the Bebuling Agropark project,” he said, without naming the companies when distributing RM500,000 worth of fertilisers to oil palm smallholders in Spaoh, Bukit Sabah, Debak and Betong recently.
Uggah Embas, who also serves as Sarawak’s second minister for finance as well as minister for new economy, infrastructure and port development, said construction of the 300ha Bebuling Agropark will begin soon.
He stated that the agropark could be a transformative game changer for the agricultural sector, increasing farmers’ productivity and income.
The government plans to transform the Bukit Saban area into a major food production hub in Betong Division. In support of this, he said a collection, processing and packaging centre is currently under construction near the Bebuling short takeoff and landing airport (STOLport).
The RM108mil STOLport, which will feature a 790-m runway, had its ground-breaking ceremony led by Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg in late 2021.
The airport will facilitate cargo transportation for food produce in Betong Division’s food basket areas.
Meanwhile, Abang Johari announced the state government would provide machinery to the State Farmers Organisation Sarawak, which will lease them to small-scale entrepreneurs involved in paddy cultivation to enhance productivity.
Speaking at the launch of Onemas Agriculture Sdn Bhd’s rice-processing plant in Sungai Padi, Meradong, he said using these machines, one ha of paddy could be seeded within an hour.
The machinery is already in use in Gedong, a constituency Abang Johari represents, where a pilot project has yielded positive results.
Onemas has successfully harvested hybrid paddy cultivated across across 50ha in three different fertile areas.
The hybrid seeds, imported from China, have demonstrated remarkable efficiency, with a 96.46% grain-setting rate and minimal empty grains.
Abang Johari also commended the ongoing efforts by Universiti Malaysia Sarawak or Unimas and Onemas to develop Sarawak’s hybrid rice seeds.
“Once we have our own hybrid rice seeds, we can plant them across Sarawak. Anyone with suitable land can receive the seeds and large companies can purchase them as well,” he said.
