Agriculture collection centres in Sibu, Kapit

KUCHING: The state government will set up collection centre (CC) at the agriculture production output stage in Sibu and Kapit.

Chief Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg when announcing this said the collection centres would resolve marketing problems face by rural farmers in these areas.

He said Sibu and Kapit were picked upon the recommendations by the former Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Alfred Jabu and current Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah.

“We have discussed the idea of having collection centre or wholesale house for the rural farmers in the area to sell their agriculture produce, for example the dabai fruits.

“We all agreed that we need a modern market infrastructure development project which connects the suppliers to users, including the manufacturers,” he said at the Medan Niaga Satok 4th anniversary celebration ceremony here yesterday.

Abang Johari said the collection centre would act as agriculture wholesale centre that would buy agriculture goods from the rural farmers.

He said the development of the collection centre would be implemented through the Federal Agriculture Marketing Authority (Fama).

“I will give free land, whereby the state government will pay the premium, to Fama to build the collection centre or complex in Sibu and Kapit.

“Aside from managing the centre, Fama will also serve as the purchaser and distributor of the goods to be sold at the collection centre,” he said.

The Chief Minister said the setting up collection centres was one of the mechanisms being undertaken to transform the agriculture sector and the rural economy.

He believed that the centres, when fully functional, would ensure small and medium scale agricultural entrepreneurs in rural Sarawak to get fair returns from their production of agriculture products.

“This is also a continuation of the former Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem’s policy to transform the rural areas,” he said.

Also present at the ceremony were Jabu, Uggah, Agriculture and Agrobase Industry Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek, Works Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof, Minister of Youth, Sports and Solidarity Dato Sri Michael Manyin, Deputy Minister for Agriculture and Agrobase Industries Datuk Anthony Nogeh Gumbek, and Fama chairman Tan Sri Dato’ Paduka Badruddin Amiruldin.