Govt-corporate sector tie vital in agro devt, says Uggah
KUCHING: Sarawak will continue to collaborate with established companies in developing its agriculture sector further.
In stressing this, Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah points out that this is vital towards generating more revenues for Sarawak and its people, particularly the smallholders.
“This will create job opportunities and lead to other economic multipliers as Sarawak aims to become a net exporter of food by 2030.
“One of the initiatives toward this end is through more close collaborations with the private sector – those that have the technology, management expertise, capital and readyaccess markets on both domestic and global arenas,” he said during the signing ceremony of three memoranda of understanding ( MoUs) between three food companies and the Sarawak government, which was represented by the Agriculture Department, at Wisma Bapa Malaysia here yesterday.
Uggah – also the Minister of Modernisation of Agriculture, Native Land and Regional Development – said Sarawak needs the private sector to inject investments into the economy through the agriculture sector.
“We shall transform the agriculture sector by modernising and commercialising it along the whole supply- and-value chain, adopting new business models with application of the latest production technology, and leveraging on ICT and digital technology,” he added.
Uggah expressed his confidence that Sarawak could become a net food exporter by 2030 as it still has the needed land and its people have proven themselves to be hardworking, in that there are many local entrepreneurs who are ready to take up the challenges and opportunities.
“Logistically too, we have improved much through sea, air and land transportations,” he said.
The signatory companies for the MoUs yesterday were Banana Tree Sdn Bhd for the development of the banana industry, Saramanis Sdn Bhd for pineapples and Sea Horse Corporation for shrimps.
Agriculture Department Sarawak director Dr Alvin Chai Lian Kuet and his deputy Ngap Dollah Salam signed on behalf of the Sarawak government.
Banana Tree was represented by its chief executive officer Tho Tze Bing and its general manager Thomas Lato, Saramanis by its chairman Datu Robert Lian and executive director Jason Jong Tze Yun, while Sea Horse was represented by its executive directors Lee Choon Kheng and Sim Jin Tong.
Assistant Minister of Native Land Development Datuk Roland Sagah Wee Inn, Assistant Minister of Agriculture Dr Abdul Rahman Ismail and permanent secretary to the Ministry of Modernisation of Agriculture, Native Land and Regional Development Datu Ik Pahon Joyik were also present at the ceremony.