Sarawak can be major food supplier for the world — Abg Johari
MIRI: Sarawak, with its vast track of land coupled with a favourable climate despite the global warming, has great potential in becoming a major food supplier for the world community.
In addition, the state is blessed with plenty of water and the development of hydro projects like Bakun and Baleh will also make it feasible to have a grid system to supply water for both human consumption and for agricultural projects, Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg said.
“Studies conducted in Tasmania on food production for the 90 billion world population showed that food including honey production will be decreasing because of climate change and even bees have short span of life, living up to three weeks only.
“But in Sarawak, studies conducted show that bees including stingless bees live longer because of the conducive environment. Bees are agents of pollution and where there is pollen, there are flowers and there will be fruits and food,” he said when declaring open the state-level Development and Leadership Seminar for community leaders at a leading hotel here yesterday.
He pointed out that by capitalising on such potential and the availability of technologies including fertigation farming and by applying digital technology, the state government could focus on modern agriculture as part of three-pronged strategies to develop Sarawak.
He mentioned northern Sarawak among the areas to be developed into an important food production centre in view of the vast land, especially in the hinterland.
“You have plenty of land and secondly, these lands can be used to develop modern agriculture and third, northern Sarawak has a lot of tourism attractions including its landscape and people.
“Fourthly, human resource here can be trained and if we use modern approach of development, we can increase the income of the people including those in rural areas,” he said.
Thus, he called for cooperation from the close people including community leaders to help realise Sarawak’s vision to become a major food supplier for the world community.
He said there was already strong demand from China and Singapore for Sarawak products, including organically grown vegetables and durians, and recently Sarawak made its first shipment of durian paste (16 tonnes) to China.
The chief minister assured that the government would strive to provide the necessary infrastructure to accelerate agriculture development in the state.
Among the measures taken, he added, was purchasing a RM10million cargo plane to facilitate transportation of agricultural products from the hinterland.
He also said the construction of a bridge in Marudi (to be launched today by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak) would herald a new era of greater development in Marudi and Baram including Miri.
In addition, the building of a road up to Long Terawan would make it easier for tourists to visit Mulu National Park, a world heritage site.
A total of 1,452 community leaders in northern Sarawak covering Bintulu, Miri and Limbang divisions attended the one-day seminar.
Among those present were Deputy Chief Ministers Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas and Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan; former deputy chief minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Dr George Chan; Minister of Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah; Public Utilities Minister Dato Sri Dr Stephen Rundi; International Trade and ECommerce Minister Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh; Education, Science and Technological Research Minister Dato Sri Michael Manyin, State Secretary Tan Sri Datuk Amar Mohamad Morshidi Abdul Ghani and assistant ministers.