Minister for Food Industry, Commodity & Regional Development, Dato Sri Dr Stephen Rundi Utom. Photo by Faitullah Morni (TVS)
LUNDU, June 10: An area of 187 hectares in Tanjung Purun has been identified as having great potential to be developed as a pilot project for integrated agriculture in Sarawak in an effort to increase the state's self-sufficiency level and ensure long-term food security.
Minister of Food Industry, Commodities & Regional Development, Dato Sri Dr Stephen Rundi Utom said that part of the area has already been utilised for off-season paddy cultivation, with one 12-hectare plot showing encouraging results and potential for development.
"We have tried several plots, and there is one that really shows potential. But modern agriculture does not only require land, we also need appropriate lighting, technical expertise, and a complete support system from upstream to downstream," he said during a visit to the GS30 hybrid paddy cultivation site here, today.
According to him, to make this effort a success, the role of the 'anchor' or driver is very important, whether it is an individual or an organization that can be the main driver, train farmers with the right methods, and have access to external markets.
"If there is a strong anchor, the farm contract system with farmers can be successful. But if everyone moves independently without coordination, it will be difficult to survive," he added.
So far, the rice self-sufficiency rate in Sarawak is only around 32 percent or 180,000 metric tons per year, still far from the minimum target of 60 percent or 450,000 metric tons required to achieve Sarawak's desire to become a clean food exporter by 2030.
