TYT: Sabah strengthens agriculture sector with focus on food security, innovation
23/04/2026 (The Borneo Post), Kota Kinabalu - Sabah is strengthening its agriculture sector not only as an economic driver but also as a strategic buffer against rising living costs and global supply disruptions.
Head of State Tun Musa Aman outlined a comprehensive strategy to modernise the sector, focusing on food security, rural income generation and technological adoption, during his state government policy address today.
Central to the plan is the Rural Agricultural Economic Revolution (RAER) 2025–2030, aimed at revitalising rural economies while enhancing the state’s food resilience.
“This initiative is a strategic measure to strengthen food security and stimulate rural economic growth,” he said.
Among the key initiatives under RAER is the “Kebun Dapur” programme, which encourages households to grow their own produce by making use of available space at home.
“This initiative not only helps to reduce the cost of living, but also fosters a culture of agriculture among the community,” he said.
The state government is also pushing ahead with its padi revolution programme, alongside biotechnology development and research into high-quality crop varieties to improve productivity and efficiency.
“This initiative will focus on implementing the Padi Revolution Programme as well as advancing biotechnology development to enhance production efficiency and quality,” he added.
Meanwhile, Sabah’s palm oil sector, a longstanding pillar of the state economy, will continue to be strengthened through innovation and sustainable practices.
Musa said efforts would focus on boosting productivity through mechanisation, precision agriculture, adoption of new technologies and optimal use of biomass, while preserving environmental sustainability.
“The state government, together with industry players and smallholders, will continue to enhance productivity through innovation and precision agriculture technologies, while ensuring sustainability remains safeguarded,” he said.
He added that the livestock and fisheries sectors would also benefit from targeted interventions.
“Efforts are underway to raise self-sufficiency rates for ruminants, strengthen animal health systems and expand blue economy initiatives, including the upgrading of fisheries infrastructure and facilities.
“These measures are aimed at ensuring sustainable food production and reducing dependence on imports,” he said.