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Sarawak Approves RM41.4 Million For State Agriculture Department Next Year
Sarawak Approves RM41.4 Million For State Agriculture Department Next Year
28/11/2013 (Bernama) - The Sarawak government has approved an allocation of RM41.4 million for the state Agriculture Department next year to implement on-going projects under the Tenth Malaysia Plan's crop, livestock, aquaculture and development support programmes.
Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Alfred Jabu said the federal government through the Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Ministry and Plantation Industries and Commodities Ministry, in principle, had also approved a total of RM112.3 million for Sarawak in addition to RM12.38 million from the Rural and Regional Development Ministry.
"My ministry and the Agriculture Department will collaborate with the relevant agencies to promote private sector investment and provide technical knowledge and support to potential investors to produce high-quality and safe food products that would comply with global agricultural practice standards and certification."
Jabu, who is also state Modernisation of Agriculture Minister, said this in his winding-up speech for his ministry at the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly sitting, here, Wednesday.
He said the federal allocation was for agriculture and aquaculture programmes (RM6.9 million), veterinary and livestock (RM5.4 million), National Key Economic Area (NKEA) padi development (RM20 million) and rubber development (70 million).
On the NKEA projects involving Bario rice industry development, he said production was expected to increase to 300 tonnes a year, which was about three to four times the production before it started once the entire 200ha area was fully cultivated by next year.
Given some delay in the project construction because the road access to Bario was cut off for three months from March this year as a result of a collapsed bridge along the logging road, he said, the completion was now scheduled for Dec 30, this year.
Jabu said for next year, the state was allocating RM168.48 million for oil palm cultivation on 18,720 hectares, focusing on titled land and native customary rights (NCR) land that had been surveyed and gazetted under the NCR perimeter survey initiative.
Under the NKEA smallholders' oil palm programme, he said, a total of 12,113 hectares of land had been planted with the crop since it started in 2011, which had benefited 6,224 smallholders throughout Sarawak, who were mostly NCR landowners.
Jabu said the Rubber Industry Smallholders Development Authority (Risda) had been approved with RM67.5 million to implement 5,000 hectares of rubber replanting next year.
For next year, a total of RM14.7 million was also approved to assist 8,180 farmers in pepper cultivation involving a total area of 1,725.5 hectares in Sarawak, he added.
Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Alfred Jabu said the federal government through the Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Ministry and Plantation Industries and Commodities Ministry, in principle, had also approved a total of RM112.3 million for Sarawak in addition to RM12.38 million from the Rural and Regional Development Ministry.
"My ministry and the Agriculture Department will collaborate with the relevant agencies to promote private sector investment and provide technical knowledge and support to potential investors to produce high-quality and safe food products that would comply with global agricultural practice standards and certification."
Jabu, who is also state Modernisation of Agriculture Minister, said this in his winding-up speech for his ministry at the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly sitting, here, Wednesday.
He said the federal allocation was for agriculture and aquaculture programmes (RM6.9 million), veterinary and livestock (RM5.4 million), National Key Economic Area (NKEA) padi development (RM20 million) and rubber development (70 million).
On the NKEA projects involving Bario rice industry development, he said production was expected to increase to 300 tonnes a year, which was about three to four times the production before it started once the entire 200ha area was fully cultivated by next year.
Given some delay in the project construction because the road access to Bario was cut off for three months from March this year as a result of a collapsed bridge along the logging road, he said, the completion was now scheduled for Dec 30, this year.
Jabu said for next year, the state was allocating RM168.48 million for oil palm cultivation on 18,720 hectares, focusing on titled land and native customary rights (NCR) land that had been surveyed and gazetted under the NCR perimeter survey initiative.
Under the NKEA smallholders' oil palm programme, he said, a total of 12,113 hectares of land had been planted with the crop since it started in 2011, which had benefited 6,224 smallholders throughout Sarawak, who were mostly NCR landowners.
Jabu said the Rubber Industry Smallholders Development Authority (Risda) had been approved with RM67.5 million to implement 5,000 hectares of rubber replanting next year.
For next year, a total of RM14.7 million was also approved to assist 8,180 farmers in pepper cultivation involving a total area of 1,725.5 hectares in Sarawak, he added.