Ministry turns to anchor farms to help farmers
MIRI: A farm using tissue culture material to plant bananas and another specialising in planting chillies have been chosen by Ministry of Modernisation of Agriculture, Native land and Regional Development ( Manred) to anchor the development of these two crops through contract farming here.
Assistant Minister Dr Abdul Rahman Ismail said this is the approach to spur involvement of more agroprenuers in the state, with anchor companies taking the lead in the industry and assisting smaller farmers.
“We want our farmers, especially the youths, to be able to get into the slipstream of the anchor companies and progress together,” he told The Borneo Post here yesterday.
The assistant minister said this after visiting the farms of the company producing Cavenish banana planting material using tissue- culture in Tukau and a commercial- scale chilli farm at Pulau Melayu.
He was accompanied by Rosey Yunus, Assistant Minister for Women, Family and Childhood Development and Bekenu assemblyman; Ripin Lamat, Lambir state assemblyman; officers from the ministry and the office in Limbang and Miri and farmers from Limbang and Miri.
Dr Rahman said the ministry is stepping up modernisation of agriculture and assisting small farmers to get on board by tapping into the resources,
We have signed MoUs with anchor companies for durian, and very soon for pineapples, bananas (in Kuching) and shrimps and the ministry is looking forward to similar MoUs to be signed for the chilli and banana anchor companies in Miri later. Dr Abdul Rahman Ismail, Modernisation of Agriculture, Native Land and Regional Development Assistant Minister
expertise, experience and market accessibility of anchor companies to improve their productivity.
“We have signed MoUs with anchor companies for durian, and very soon for pineapples, bananas (in Kuching) and shrimps and the ministry is looking forward to similar MoUs to be signed for the chilli and banana anchor companies in Miri later,” he said.
He was impressed with the development in Miri , including a tissue- culture lab to select the best Cavendish banana planting materials and ripening facilities by Botanium group of companies, which is undertaking to plant about 200 acres as it branch out from its experimental plot providing the stock materials.
Its managing director TK Jong said modern technology and quality planting material were sourced from Taiwan and the Miri laboratory is now capable of producing its own planting materials from the tissues.
“Apart from catering for the domestic market, we wil l be adopting the international food safety standards to export to Japan and other markets later,” he said in his briefing.
Jong said quality planting material is the pre- requisite for top quality fruits and high productivity which is achieved with technology and expertise in the field.
Meanwhile, the delegation also visited Grasicili farm at Pulau Melayu which was in operation barely four months ago but has churn out an impressive production for the local market.
Its founder and owner Munir Ashim Abdullah said the 4.5 acres of land currently has 12,000 chilli plants with another 9,000 to be planted.
“Companies in Miri which got their supplies from Sabah are now buying from us as it fresher,” he said.
The company currently has 528 contract farmers throughout the state.
The farm in Pulau Melayu is run by five permanent staff and augmented by part time harvesters.
The company will deliver 2.4 tonnes of chilli this week after orders poured in since Monday night but Munir said the company is targeting the export markets and will get the supply from its contract farmers in the state to meet the demand.