TUARAN: The State Government will continue to strengthen collaboration with its federal counterpart towards commercializing the agricultural sector in Sabah, said Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman.
He said cooperation will be heightened in critical aspects, especially in the provision of allocation for high impact projects as well as identifying new methods to increase agricultural productivity.
“We will also continue to identify more programmes that are beneficial to the agriculture community, in addition to the various assistance that we have already provided,” he said to reporters after officiating at Road to MAHA 2014 here yesterday.
Musa said a lot still needed to be done to fully tap the huge potential in commercial agriculture in Sabah, which is still highly lacking in participation from local communities.
In his speech earlier, Musa said the government had identified the sector as one of the 12 economic generators for the country and coincidentally agriculture was also among the main economy earners for Sabah, together with the tourism and manufacturing sectors.
In line with the concept agriculture is business, various programmes and schemes have been provided to help farmers, breeders and fishermen to become successful agro-entrepreneurs.
“Sabah has a vast and fertile land available for agriculture. Opportunities are abundant in various agricultural chains and efforts are being made by the government to explore these opportunities, but we need participation from the people. The people themselves need to grab these opportunities,” he said.
During the event, Musa also presented cheques to agro-entrepreneurs from Tuaran, who were among some 947 entrepreneurs across the State that benefited from the grants totalling RM6.743 million allocated through Tekun (Tabung Ekonomi Kumpulan Usaha Niaga) for Sabah this year.
Another RM1.465 million incentive from Lembaga Pertubuhan Peladang (LPP) was also given for 5,193 padi planters from the district, involving 6,593 hectares of padi fields.
Meanwhile, Agriculture and Agro-based Industries Ministry secretary-general Datuk Mohd Arif Ab Rahman said a total of RM34 million has been allocated under LPP for padi planting programmes in Sabah this year.
The event was part of a series of prelude to MAHA to be held at the Malaysia Agro Exposition Park Serdang (MAEPS) in Kuala Lumpur from November 20 – 30.
Sabah was the seventh stop in the Road to MAHA after Pahang, Pulau Pinang, Kelantan, Perak, Kedah and Melaka.
Local Government and Housing Minister Datuk Hajiji Mohd Noor cum Tuaran Umno chief in his welcoming remarks said the hosting of the event was hoped to increase awareness among the local communities on the potential in the agriculture sector.
Tuaran is home to the only agricultural research centre in the State and among the districts identified for various key agricultural projects, such as aquaculture and padi planting.
