Dr Abdul Rahman (seated fourth right) and others with the agriculture incentive recipients for the AFF 2019 allocation.
LIMBANG: Some 20 acres of land at Bukit Seraong in Batu Danau here have been identified for Bario or Adan rice planting.
In stating this, Assistant Minister of Agriculture, Native Land and Regional Development Datuk Dr Abdul Rahman Ismail said the rice planting project will be implemented by Limbang Area Farmers Organisations (PPK).
“We will assist and find out what they need including assistance in terms of input and equipment for the rice planting project,” he said after presenting Agriculture Incentive under Agriculture Facilitation Fund (AFF) Programme to Agrofood operators at Limbang PPK area on Tuesday.
Dr Abdul Rahman gave his thumbs up to the effort to expand the cultivation of the special rice in Batu Danau which is currently only cultivated at the highland areas such as Bario and Ba Kelalan.
On PPK Limbang, the Bukit Kota assemblyman said it will collect all agricultural products from farmers after the completion of the construction of collection, processing and packaging centres (CCPCs) in Limbang and Lawas.
He also said his ministry had identified a company to be the lead agency for the CCPCs.
Thus, he encouraged farmers to be the suppliers of the agriculture produce.
To ensure consistent agriculture produce supply for the CPPCs, he said the State Farmers’ Organisation (SFO) will closely work with Limbang PPK and Lawas PPK in identifying 500 acres of land for farming.
Dr Abdul Rahman, who is also SFO chairman, said the SFO will serve as marketing agent for domestic and international markets to realise the aspiration of Sarawak to be the main agriculture producer by 2030.
SFO, he added, was also working closely with other companies to look for suitable platform to expand the market for agriculture products in the state, particularly e-marketing through social media.
“SFO also works hand-in-hand with 28 PPKs in the state in the form of marketing. It is because we don’t want to move alone.”
On the agriculture incentive, he said a total of RM361,000 had been given under AFF 2019 allocation to Agrofood Station, Limbang Agriculture Department as well as to assist 22 small-medium industry (SMI) participants in Bukit Kota constituency in expanding their product base.
Besides that, he said, some RM371,000 had been given to 23 recipients under the AFF 2020 allocation, in the form of equipment which included allocation for building a centre for them to develop SMI products in Limbang.
Also present were Limbang Division agriculture officer Jakaria Rambli, Limbang PPK general manager Michale Misau and Limbang PPK chairman Ugak Sanggau.
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