Durian orchard rehabilitation to up production for exports
SERIAN: Some 20,000 durian trees in Limbang, Baram, Betong and Serian will be included under a pilot durian orchard rehabilitation programme.
Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah, in announcing this, said he had directed the Department of Agriculture (DoA) to work with Top Fruits (Sarawak) Sdn Bhd.
It is said that the government has already allocated RM7 million for the purpose.
Uggah, also Minister of Modernisation of Agriculture, Native Land and Regional Development, said such initiative was among the efforts taken by the government to help increase the production of durians for exports, including to China.
“To increase production, the government is taking a strategic approach – working with Top Fruits ( Sarawak) Sdn Bhd (as) an anchor company, in the hope that the durian trees would bear more fruits for exports.
“By working with the company, the state government will give input while the company will provide the expertise. With this, we can also help the durian smallholders to transform the rural areas through agriculture,” Uggah said at the launch of the ‘ Durian Orchard Rehabilitation Programme’ at Teng Bukap yesterday.
Minister of Education, Science and Technological Research Dato Sri Michael Manyin, Assistant Minister of Native Land Development Datuk Roland Sagah, Assistant Minister of Transportation Datuk Dr Jerip Susil, Serembu assemblyman Miro Simuh, Kedup assemblyman Martin Ben and the Barisan Nasional candidate for Puncak Borneo parliamentary constituency Jeannoth Sinel, were also present at the function.
Adding on, Uggah also said the DoA had identified durian orchards at three agriculture stations – Semenggok in Kuching, Tarat in Serian, Layar in Betong and Kabuloh in Miri – set to become training centres for farmers interested in planting durian trees.