Govt continues investment in coffee
KUCHING: The Ministry of Modernisation of Agriculture, Native Land and Regional Development will continue to invest and support the local coffee industry although local production is considerably lower than the national average.
This year, the ministry has allocated RM3.15 million in the state for coffee planting venture, an significant increment of 40 per cent compared with RM2.15 million allocated last year.
The ministry’s permanent secretary Datu Ik Pahon Joyik – who was representing Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Emas – said this when launching the twoday Borneo Coffee Symposium at Old Court House, Jalan Barack here yesterday.
The allocation will be spread across Miri, Limbang, Kuching and Mukah and Ik Pahon believed that the state will continue to record modest growth in the acreage for coffee planting.
According to Ik Pahon, Malaysia has a total of 2,587.5 hectares planted with coffee while harvested area stand at 2,076.2 hectares, producing 8,109.2 tonnes or 3.9 tonne per hectare.
He pointed out that Sarawak has 247 hectares of planted area and 42.1 hectares of harvested area, producing 20.7 metric tonnes of coffee in 2017, equivalent to 0.5 tonnes per hectare only.
The low production was attributed to factors ranging from logistics, natural environment, type of beans chosen to be planted and lack of expertise.
“We hope that this first coffee symposium with the presence of experts in the field could assist in providing professional expertise to improve the yields,” Ik Pahon said.
He urged all stakeholders to further explore coffee education courses for local farmers and also create promotional campaigns for Borneo Coffee.
“We believe in the agricultural potential of coffee here, which could allow our smallholders to find new source of income and diversify their existing crops.”
Stakeholders were further encouraged to work closely to promote Sarawak home-grown coffee – the Liberica – worldwide.
About 21 speakers are expected to participate in Borneo Coffee Symposium including academics, scientists, farmers and entrepreneurs.
The state government aims to be net food exporter by 2030 through a public-private sector partnership development and business model by partnering anchor companies with relevant expertise.
Sarawak imported 9,492 tonnes of coffee beans and products valued at RM134 million and exported about 17 tonnes with a value of RM359,000 in 2017.
The symposium, organised by Earthlights Coffee Workshop and Malaysia Coffeeology Collective, aims to connect local coffee cultivators to the sophisticated global coffee market while channelling socio-economic benefits to farmers in crop diversification.