Focus on private sector investment in agriculture

Modernisation of Agriculture, Native Land and Regional Development Ministry staff listening to Uggah at the event in Kuching. — ZULAZHAR SHEBLEE/The Star

KUCHING: Sarawak will encourage more private sector investment in agriculture as part of efforts to achieve its target of becoming a net food exporter by 2030.

Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah said private sector involvement was needed for it to produce bigger quantities of food products of high quality for the export market.

“In Sarawak, most of the private sector investment in agriculture is currently in oil palm.

Uggah addressing Modernisation of Agriculture, Native Land and Regional Development Ministry staff at a gathering in Kuching.

“We want the private sector to go into food crops such as pineapple and banana. They can drive the agriculture sector as we see a lot of potential in it,” he said in his address to Modernisation of Agriculture, Native Land and Regional Development Ministry staff here.

Uggah, who heads the ministry, said facilitating public-private partnerships in agriculture businesses would continue to be one of the ministry’s strategies this year.

He said so far partnerships had been signed with anchor companies to produce durian, banana, coconut and kelulut honey.

“We have also identified new projects including a collection, processing and packaging centre, five more agroparks in addition to the existing two, livestock farming and aquaculture industry zone.

“In addition, we have identified champion industries which offer commercial potential.

“These include food crops such as pineapple, durian, banana, coconut and padi,” he said.

Uggah also said the state government had allocated RM450.2mil for agriculture development this year, an increase of RM227mil from last year’s approved allocation.

Of the total amount, RM286.9mil will be channeled to the Agriculture Ministry and the rest to other ministries and statutory bodies.

“The funds channelled to the ministry will be used to finance various agriculture transformation initiatives, including venture capital, agropark and socioeconomic transformation projects,” Uggah said.