Sarawak Farmers’ Organisation to have new RM20 million headquarters soon
KUCHING: Sarawak Farmers’ Organisation ( SFO) will soon have a new headquarters to be built on a piece of land at Pentagon in Kota Samarahan.
Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah said Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Dr Abang Johari Tun Openg has approved RM20 million for building the headquarters on a 3-acre piece of land.
“My ministry ( Ministry of Modernisation of Agriculture, Native Land and Regional Development) will do our best to speed up the construction work so that SFO will have their headquarters dream realised, complete with ICT facilities,” Uggah said, when officiating at the opening of SFO’s 33rd AGM here yesterday.
His text of speech was read out by Assistant Minister of Agriculture, Dr Abdul Rahman Ismail.
Uggah, meanwhile, advised members to carry out both shortterm and long-term projects by working closely with other relevant agencies to achieve better result.
“Build up relationship with Agriculture Department, Salcra, Fama, Risda, Malaysia Cocoa Board, Malaysia Pepper Board, MPOB and other government agencies. Members must follow their programmes because their target group is you (members),” Uggah said.
He also advised them to work closely together to develop business opportunities by networking to get better results.
“SFO must play roles in helping members in the production process which include manufacturing, processing and marketing, while the government will be there to help.”
Meanwhile, SFO chairman Datuk Sylvester Entri said the AGM was attended by 171 members from 28 branches throughout Sarawak.
He said the organisation had been financially self reliant with no annual allocation or grant from the government.
“All operational expenses and activities were financed with income generated from successful contracts through quotations and tenders,” he said.
He, however, said they did not secure contracts with good profit margin last year, causing them to only generate RM25 million in revenue, which was 25 per cent lesser than their achievement in 2016.
He attributed this to changes in government procurement policy, which included licensing issue, which denied them the opportunity to participate in some of the contracts.