Uggah advises farmers to go for crop diversification to increase income
KUCHING: Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas yesterday advised pepper farmers to diversify instead of depending on a single crop.
He said pepper farmers can also plant other crops like oil palm and rubber.
“Don’t depend on one particular crop, but plant other crops to generate income just in case there is a fall in price of a particular commodity,” he said at the launch of ‘ Program Jelajah Sarawak, Jom Tanam Lada 2017’ at Betong Division level.
Uggah who is also Minister of Modernisation of Agriculture, Native Land and Regional Devlopment said farmers can venture into livestock rearing to increase their income.
He mentioned the rearing of ‘engkelulut’ which is easy to manage and has high demand in the market.
Uggah said the government would continue to strive to increase the income of the people in rural areas by bringing agricultural programmes and economic planning.
Various agricultural schemes like rubber planting, pepper and oil palm are available to farmers in rural areas, he said, hoping farmers fully utilise facilities provided by the government.
Present were state government special advisor Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Alfred Jabu Numpang, Layar assemblyman Gerald Rentap Jabu, Saribas assemblyman Mohammad Razi Sitam and Kelaka assemblyman Datuk Abdul Wahab Aziz.