KOTA KINABALU: A kitchen farming initiative set to be launched this weekend is targeting the participation of 5,000 households statewide.
The state, through the Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Industries Ministry, will launch this initiative at Padang Istiadat in Tuaran, starting 10am on Feb 15, said its minister Datuk Jamawi Jaafar.
He said this programme is to address cost of living issues and strengthen household economy through self-consumption food production at the community level.
He said making use of open and available spaces in house compounds helps in food production and can even generate income for families that do it systematically and consistently.
Jamawi said this Kitchen Farm concept under the Rural Agricultural Economic Revolution – RAER, makes use of any open spaces for small scale farming and livestock rearing.
It involves agriculture, fisheries and livestock farming, while applying modern farming concepts to increase yield and food security, he said.
He said the implementation of this initiative takes into consideration factors such as residential compounds of the people, the suitability of different models of kitchen farming depending on the size of land area available, and will be continued throughout the year.
Jamawi, who is a successful agripreneur himself, said the state is planning to hold a stateside roadshow to promote this concept and encourage more participation from the people.
He said agencies such as the Agricultural Department, Veterinary Services Department, Fisheries, Ko-Nelayan, Safma and the Rubber Industry Board will be on hand to sell products and guide the people on how to go about the various farming activities.
“With a holistic approach, we are confident that this can help increase Sabah’s self-sufficiency levels, further strengthening food security and sustainable economic growth for the state,” he said.
