Sabah to do more in seed, plant revival initiatives, says state Agriculture Minister

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah can do more in seed and plant revival initiatives to ensure that local plants that serve as food sources and medicine are preserved.

State Agriculture and Fisheries minister Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan (pic) said many local produce are no longer given attention to, as the race towards creating better genetics of plants and food sources intensifies.

He said these overlooked plants that are considered endemic to Sabah or have been around for generations in villages statewide have their own uses and benefits, and are at risk of extinction if they are not gathered, documented and preserved.

“Food and plant experts all over the world are busy competing to create super varieties including genetically modified organisms (GMO), but also many species of local plants and herbs that should be promoted as well,” he said.

Jeffrey said this when launching the Seeds Spiritual Revival programme during Sabah’s Kaamatan month (harvest festival), aimed at conserving and restoring local plants for the purpose of revival and regeneration on Saturday (May 22).

This initiative is also hoped to inculcate a sense of belonging by local communities toward plants facing extinction that can be found in their respective districts or communities.

He hopes this programme, held also in conjunction with the World Biodiversity Day, would encourage more people to better understand Sabah’s flora and fauna and in turn, spark interest among locals and researchers to help them flourish.

“I am sure there are still so many species of flora and fauna that we are not aware of, let alone documented for the reference of future generations,” Jeffrey said.

“I hope we will be able to gather the seeds and information needed for the development of plant species, while those with medical properties that have been spread by word of mouth can be recorded with prior informed consent,” he said.

He said this is so that the property rights and intellectual property of a community is protected.

Jeffrey also assured locals that when seeds are taken from a certain community, the Sabah Agriculture Department will act as the next custodians so that these plants will be properly preserved.