PUTATAN: Chief
Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman wants agricultural expos to be held in all
districts in Sabah as a platform to expose local farmers to the latest
development in the sector.
Such events, he
said, could help in disseminating information on new findings that could be
applied by the agriculture communities to improve their income and help retain
the sector as one of the major economic earners for the state.
Speaking at the
launch of Putatan Agricultural Expo 2012 here yesterday, Musa said the
agriculture sector had been identified as one of the major focuses under the
state’s development Halatuju launched in 2003, alongside the tourism and
manufacturing sectors.
Apart from
reducing dependency on imported food products, further development of this
sector would also help improve the income of Sabahans, he said.
“I believe the
expo here today would benefit the target group and everyone involved … And I am
confident that with the cooperation of all parties in this district, it will
propel the growth of the agriculture and agro-based industry not only here
locally but in the whole state, and make us a major food producer in the
country.
“This is why I
must propose that the ministry (of agriculture and food industry) expands this
event to other districts so that agricultural potential of each district can be
fully developed and utilized,” he said.
Musa stressed that
it was the hope of the state government that farmers, breeders and fishermen
communities across Sabah continue to improve themselves by incorporating new
technologies into their operations.
By doing so, he
said they would be able to significantly improve their output and revenues and
prove the old perception that agriculture is a low income industry for the
poor, is wrong.
“Agriculture could
be a lucrative business if done right,” Musa asserted.
Met after the
launching, he said many agricultural development projects and programmes had
been successfully implemented in Sabah and had greatly benefited farmers and
local agro-based businesses.
As such, Musa, who
is also State Finance Minister, said he would request the federal government to
provide more allocations to fund similar projects in the future.
The state
government, he added, would also implement more programmes aimed at encouraging
more people to participate and benefit from the sector, and promote awareness
that agriculture is a lucrative industry.
“Improving the
income of the farmers would translate to improvement of the overall economy of
the state … we are on the right track to move forward,” he said.
He also said the
promising potential in agriculture, coupled with political stability and vast
fertile land in Sabah had attracted major international players to come in and
invest in the sector.
Among the latest
ones, he noted, was an American company which waslooking to develop a
multi-billion fruit planting project in Sabah.
“Apart from the
lobster project that I mentioned before this, there is also a US-based company
who wants to come in. We are currently looking for a suitable site for the
project and in discussions to find out which agency would be best to
collaborate with them.
“Many investors
are coming to Sabah because they are convinced of the political stability we
have. That is why we do not encourage street demonstration that could undermine
this stability, this will not benefit anyone,” he said.
Meanwhile, Deputy
Chief Minister cum Agriculture and Food Industry Minister Datuk Seri Yahya
Hussin in his welcoming remarks said the Integrated Agricultural Complex in
Putatan could be developed into an attractive agro-tourism destination.
He said the
complex dubbed as the ‘Green Lung of Putatan’ could be packaged as a tourism
product to attract both local and foreign visitors.
“I was also made
to understand that this five-hectare complex will be developed as a permanent
food production park that will lead in intensive high-tech farming. This
project represents an opportunity for the local community in Putatan to venture
into this field and become agro entrepreneurs,” he added.
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