(Kuching, 26th) The Sarawak Agriculture Department is ready to play its role in transforming the state's agricultural sector into a more sustainable and high-tech industry.
The Director of Sarawak Agriculture Department, Dominic Kana, stated that the transformation process utilizing new technologies and initiatives can ensure food security, create wealth for the agricultural community, and enable Sarawak to become a net food exporter by 2030.
He said this effort also aligns with the developmental strategic plan post-2030 pandemic.
He added that challenges faced by the department include climate change, the growing demand for food, and global competition.
“Therefore, the main strategies being implemented include focusing on the rice industry, establishing agricultural parks, Sarawak's agrotechnology parks, precision farming parks and aquaculture parks, involving the private sector through the Public-Private Collaboration (PPCP) model, and developing the supply chain by establishing collection, processing and packaging centers (CPPC) and agricultural product terminals.”
He said this at the 100th-anniversary celebration organized by the department last night.
In supporting the implementation of this plan, he highlighted that the Sarawak Agriculture Department has undergone restructuring, including the establishment of a rice division and the formation of a crop quality control division to certify sustainable agricultural practices.
This includes the establishment of an agricultural business development division to increase agricultural commerce and downstream products, and the strengthening of the plant quarantine and biosafety division to prevent the spread of invasive pests.
For success, he called for close cooperation from all parties, including government agencies, the private sector, and the community, to jointly support the transformation of Sarawak's agricultural sector.
“The Sarawak Agriculture Department is committed to fulfilling every trust placed upon it to develop the sector.”