Sabah govt welcomes pepper as new crop

TAMBUNAN: The state government welcomes the efforts of the Ministry of Plantation Industries and Commodities to introduce the cultivation of pepper as a new commodity crop.
Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan said the newly introduced commodity crop has been well received in the state.
He said if farmers in the interior region were given a briefing and guidance on growing pepper, they would cultivate the crop in their gardens together with other crops.
Pairin, who is also Minister of Infrastructure Development was speaking at the closing ceremony of the Hello Commodity Programme organised by the Ministry of Plantation Industries and Commodities at the community hall here on Saturday.
“We hope pepper can be cultivated by the farmers especially in the Tambunan district and Keningau parliamentary as a whole when they receive assistance and guidance just like other commodities such as oil palm and rubber that they are planting now,” he said.
He also hoped that the presence of the officials and agencies under the Ministry of Plantation Industries and Commodities would enable the local community to improve the quality and productivity of commodity crops as well as the industry.
The Tambunan Assemblyman and Keningau MP said the Hello Commodity Programme was also an avenue for participants to obtain information, knowledge and experience as well as new ideas to address issues related to commodity crops.
“With the government vigorously promoting the plantation and commodity sector, the economy of smallholders in the state including those in the Tambunan district and the interior region will continue to improve.
“In this respect, I urge smallholders and entrepreneurs as well as the community in general to take advantage of the assistance and services provided by the government to develop the plantation and commodity sector,” said Pairin.
Also present were the Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Tan Sri Bernard Dompok, Bingkor Assemblyman Datuk Justin Guka, Tambunan District Officer Thomas Angor, officials from the Ministry of Plantation Industries and Commodities and community leaders.

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Sabah govt wants more palm oil players subscribing to RSPO

24th December, 2012

TAWAU: The Sabah State Government wants to see more palm oil sector players in the state, including small estates, subscribing to the production of sustainably produced palm oil under the ambit of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO).

Chief Minister, Datuk Seri Musa Haji Aman said by following theRSPO, the scope of palm oil related activities and palm oil related industrial sectors could truly attest to the Malaysian-produced certified sustainable palm oil.

“Global demand, in particular from the European Union and the United States, demands sustainably produced palm oil…I hope East Malaysia Planters’ Association (EMPA) members are responsive to the sustainability requirements, and are making progress in producing certified sustainabale palm oil,” he said.

Musa stressed this in his speech text delivered by Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Yahya Hussin at the EMPA Annual Dinner here on Saturday night.

The RSPO was formed in 2004 with the objective of promoting the growth and use of sustainable oil palm products through credible global standards and engagement of stakeholders.

RSPO is a not-for-profit, market-led association that represents stakeholders from seven sectors of the palm oil industry – oil palm producers, palm oil processors or traders, consumer goods manufacturers, retailers, banks and investors, environmental or nature conservation NGOs and social or developmental NGOs – to develop and implement global standards for sustainable palm oil.

Read More : New Sabah Times

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Gov’t will provide assistance to farmers in cultivation of cocoa in Sabah

19th December, 2012

RANAU: The government has provided 655 hectares of land in the state for the New Cocoa Plantation Program in 2013, said the Chairman of the Malaysian Cocoa Board (MCB), Datuk Siringan Gubat.

He said the breakdown of the targeted area is 205 hectares in Ranau, 200 hectares in Tenom, 150 hectares in the North West Coast and 100 hectares in Tawau.

“This is one of the Government’s initiative to ensure the success of cocoa which is also one of the core for the advancement of agriculture and manufacturing sectors, particularly the resource-based industries in the country,” said Siringan in his speech at the Opening Ceremony of the Advanced Course and the Crop Cocoa Operators Association Annual General Meeting Sulawesi cocoa (PENAKOS), here, yesterday.

He said that before this, the government has allocated an amount of RM17.8 million to develop a new area of 1.567 hectare of cocoa plantation in Malaysia.

Read More : New Sabah Times

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Insdustrial Development : Manpower training for agriculture

To upgrade the cultivation of food crops and agriculture generally the Government has allocated RM9.3 million under the 9 Malaysia Plan (9 Malaysia Plan) to further improve training quality at the Sabah Agriculture Institute (IPS) in Timbang Menggaris. Of this amount RM5.5m comes from the State Government while the remaining RM3.8m is federal allocation. At the same time, the University of Malaysia Sabah (UMS) is also setting up the UMS School of Sustainable Agriculture in Sandakan to meet the future manpower needs of Sabah’s agricultural sector. On the marketing and distribution side, the Federal Agriculture Marketing Agency (FAMA) has its FAMA Sabah Marketing Complex at KKIP to step up its effort in marketing locally produced agriculture and agro-based products. The Chief Minister said the setting up of distribution centres in certain districts is also likely to assist in boosting marketing efficiency and to become a supporting factor in promoting value-added activities for agriculture products in the State. As one of the three pillars of the state government’s “Halatuju” agenda for development, the industrial sector is in the forefront of Sabah’s efforts to spur the State’s economic growth. Rich in natural resources, Sabah has in recent years increased the value-added contents of its commodity exports. Value of exported manufactured
goods increased from RM2.6 billion in year 2003 to RM4.3 billion in 2008, with annual average growth of 8.7 per cent. Investment promotion programmes in manufacturing industry involving Small & Medium Industry (SMI) in Sabah includes the Sabah International Exhibition (SIE), Borneo International Trade Fair (BITF) and Buy Sabah- Made Product Expo. In the state government’s 2010 budget a sum of RM136.64 million has been set-aside to support the state’s technology-oriented Industry in Sabah to add value in the existing industries. An additional RM20.0 million has also been allocated for the expansion of POIC in Lahad Datu and a further RM30.0 million and RM4.0 million as equity investment in KKIP and POIC respectively. As the star performer of Sabah’s commodity exports oil palm offers much room for the manufacturing sector.
Currently Sabah has 1.4 million hectares planted with oil palm. In the past few years, the agricultural sector contributed about 29 per cent towards Sabah Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Sabah is still the leading producer of palm oil in Malaysia contributing 32 per cent of the nation’s total production of oil palm, and 15 per cent of the world’s total production of oil palm in 2008. Oil palm growers including smallholders earned
enormous profits in 2007 and generated export incomes of RM45.1 billion for the country, 41.8 per cent more than in 2006. The government will continue to contribute RM30.00 million to the palm oil smallholders’ special fund to help the smallholders. To optimize the huge investment potentials of taking our primary commodities up the value-chain, the government has given a great deal of support to the main industry players, especially the Kota Kinabalu Industrial Park (KKIP) and Palm Oil Industrial Cluster (POIC).

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RM30 mil allocated as Rubber Production Incentive since August

24th October, 2012

KOTA KINABALU: The State government has approved RM30million as Rubber Production Incentive since last 1 August to increase rubber output and boost the income of all rubber smallholders in Sabah.

Deputy Chief Minister, Datuk Yahya Hussin, said the incentive scheme also aimed to standardise prices of rubber in Sabah and the peninsula and therefore lessen the impact on smallholders when prices drop.

“Since the incentive was given out on 30 September, a total of 20,816 settlers, tappers, participants of the Community Farm and smallholders have enjoyed assistance that amounted toRM3,941,458.66,” he said.

Read More : New Sabah Times

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SDC's agriculture projects herald a new, bright future for residents in Kudat, Sabah

14th October, 2012
KUDAT: The most-awaited agriculture-based projects which are currently being implemented by the State government under Sabah Development Corridor (SDC) in the northern part of Sabah heralds a new, bright future for thousands of people in this area.
Statistics indicated that, for now, northern Sabah, covering the districts of Kudat, Kota Marudu and Pitas, still has a high population of hardcore poor or a high incidence of poverty.
But thanks to the 1Malaysia’s Government Transformation Programme (GTP) initiative taken by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, this region is now enjoying tremendous growth and development, particularly in the agricultural sector.
In what is seen as a new dawn for this area and its people, Datuk Dr Mohd Yaakub Johari, Chief Executive, Sabah Economic Development and Investment Authority (SEDIA), a one-stop authority for SDC, said the State government under the leadership of Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Haji Aman, who is also chairman of SEDIA, has devised a special strategy in tackling poverty in northern Sabah.
One of the SDC’s key projects for that purpose is the agro-politan project in Pitas, he told Bernama, here.

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Rubber board makes RM30m pre-tax profit

Published on: Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Kota Kinabalu: The Sabah Rubber Industry Board (SRIB) generated a pre-tax profit of RM30 million last year, said its Chairman Ahmad Bujang here Monday.He said the agency was pleased with the performance as it has registered losses the past two to three years."The pre-tax profit of RM30 million is a good sign that the agency is beginning to progress after suffering losses for several years," Ahmad said during a media luncheon with news editors, bureau chiefs and journalists at a hotel here on Monday."Therefore, we are also targeting to earn about the same amount of profit before tax this year through our new management that has gone forward to improve SRIB's image."The management has created a new environment and approaches including programmes that would benefit the people especially the smallholders in tandem with what the government aspires for the people," he said.Ahmad said the agency is currently implementing a new rubber plantation programme and re-planting rubber programme on a total acreage of 6,392 hectares involving a funding of RM40.6 million for this year.He said the agency has also planned to develop about 7,000-ha of land with rubber trees utilising RM73 million and involving about 2,500 rubber smallholders."It cannot be denied that the media plays a major role as it has been giving publicity and wide coverage on SRIB and the people of Sabah now are more familiar with the agency's roles and functions," Ahmad said.Deputy Chief Minister cum Agriculture and Food Industry Minister Datuk Yahya Hussin also attended the event along with his assistant minister Datuk Bobbey A. Suan and SRIB General Manager Datuk Harris Mathews.

 Daily Express

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Sabah may become No.1 ginger State

Published on: Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Kota Kinabalu: The State Government is currently formulating strategies to make Sabah the biggest producer of ginger in the country.Assistant Agriculture and Food Industry Minister Datuk Musbah Haji Jamli said this was following the Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman's recommendation, considering Sabah's ginger is known to be the best of its kind in the country."This is part of the State Government's effort to ensure Sabah is no longer viewed as incapable to compete with the other states É the Chief Minister is also very concerned over agriculture development in the State and aspires to bring it to a level that we can be proud of," he said at the launching of the Sabah zone-level Kor Tani by the Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Ministry at the Kota Kinabalu Sports Complex here Monday.Musbah, who represented Deputy Chief Minister cum Agriculture and Food Industry Minister Datuk Yahya Hussin at the event, said the State Government is also hoping that the Federal government can channel more allocations to Sabah.

 Daily Express

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KL aware of Sabah's need for more funding

Published on: Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Kota Kinabalu: The Federal Government is seriously looking into Sabah's need for more allocation for agriculture development and will strive to help fulfilling such needs, said Deputy Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Datuk Wira Mohd Johari Baharum."What's important is that Barisan Nasional (BN) must win in Sabah (during the forthcoming General Election). If BN wins in Sabah, surely there would be no problem," he said."Like in Kedah, my place, we lost. So if we lose, it would be difficult, because we will have a problem with the (opposition) State Government. So we hope BN would continue to rule in Sabah, so we can continue to assist the StateÉwe can help many things in the State," he told reporters after he officiated at the launching of Sabah zone-level Kor Tani by his Ministry at Kota Kinabalu Sports Complex in Likas here Monday.He said the Federal Government is well aware of the problem (Sabah's need for more Federal Government allocation) as most of the Members of Parliament from Sabah have raised it in their debates in Parliament.Citing an example, Mohd Johari pointed to the government assistance in repairing the houses of fishermen which is now being implemented in stages.Apart from that he said the Government is also now building homes for the fishermen at a cost of RM50,000 per unit. But to do this the Federal Government requires the cooperation of the State Government to provide land for the purpose.The same goes for other agriculture development, he said, adding it is for this reason that the people of Sabah must continue to give their support to the present BN State Government and its leaders.Mohd Johari also blamed the opposition's attempt to interfere in the government effort to develop Kota Belud's rice bowl by campaigning against the construction of a proposed dam that is meant to provide for the irrigation for the paddy cultivation area in the district."So that's why I said if Sabah is to be ruled by the opposition, it would make it hard for us to continue developing the State Éwe hope the people in Sabah would reject the opposition and give their full support to the existing BN State Government under the Umno leadership," he said.Some 515 people in Sabah and Labuan participated as members of Kor Tani, which aims to register 10,000 members throughout the country this year.So far nearly 6,000 people aged between 18 and 40 have joined this movement, which was launched by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Najib Tun Razak at national-level on April 22 this year.They comprise the Pasar Tani participants, small and medium industry entrepreneurs, graduates involved in production/marketing, farmers, breeders and so on.Mohd Johari said the Ministry is now looking at probably providing an opportunity to those unemployed Kor Tani members to develop lands under the Ministry's jurisdiction that are still idle for food production.In another development, Mohd Johari said the peninsula is presently importing bananas from Sabah and Sarawak due to the banana plague that has badly affected banana cultivation there.

 Daily Express

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CM: U.S. FIRM MULLS RM1bn SABAH STAKE

10th May, 2012

KOTA KINABALU: A U.S. food company, Dole is keen to invest overRM1 billion in the food and fruits industry in Sabah.Speaking to reporters after opening the Putatan Agriculture Expo here yesterday, Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Haji Aman said further discussions were ongoing to pick a suitable joint venture partner from among the state agencies.A suitable location is also being identified.“They (Dole) – a big company in the food and fruits industry – have already expressed interest to have this partnership,” he added.He said the American firm was keen to invest in Sabah because the state was peaceful and conducive for investment.Musa also said Sabah could become a major food producing state in the country.Earlier in his speech, he said farmers, livestock breeders, planters as well as fishermen needed tointensify efforts and be adept in using technology for the sake of progress.“This is the hope of the state government so as to debunk the perception that they are backward but are people capable of earning a good income and whose socio-economic status has improved,” he said.He said the government through the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry has implemented programmes to raise the socio-economic status of the people and this was made possible with new discoveries which resulted in higher agriculture yields and income for the farmers.Musa also said the government encouraged farmers to develop their land fully as there are many assistance schemes provided by the ministry.The Chief Minister said during the Ninth Malaysia Plan period, Sabah’s economy grew at a rate of five per cent annually, and that the agriculture sector contributed RM7.24 billion to the gross domestic product (GDP) in 2010 as compared with RM3.8 billion in 2005.Agirulcure, he said, was a major contributor to the state’s economy.It is a key sector along with tourism and manufacturing under the Halatuju which was launched in 2003.And, this economic development plan (Halatuju) is aimed to increase production of food for domestic and export markets, and subsequently to reduce dependence on imported food and raise self-sufficiency.On the agriculture expo, Musa expressed confidence that it would benefit the target groups and all those involved.“The latest information and research discoveries available during the exhibition are useful for the developemnt of the sector,”he added.The Chief Minister also said cooperation from everyone was the key to making Sabah a major food producer in Malaysia.“It is my hope the expo will also be held in other districts so that the potential of these areas can be exploited,” he said matter-of-factly.Also president were Deputy Chief Minister cum Agriculture and Food Industry Minister Datuk Yahya Hussin and his two deputies Datuk Bonney Suan and Datuk Musbah Jamli, State Secretary Datuk Sukarti Wakiman, the agriculture ministry’s permanent secretary Datuk Ujang Sulani and state agriculture director Datuk M.C. Ismail Salam.

 http://www.newsabahtimes.com.my

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7,202 youths benefited from 1Azam

27th March, 2012

KOTA KINABALU: Deputy Chief Minister-cum-Minister of Agriculture & Food Industry Datuk Seri Yahya Hussin told the State Assembly here that a total of 7,202 youths have benefited from the 1Azam programme which had started since 2010.

Replying to the Sulabayan Assemblyman Datuk Haji Harman Haji Mohammad yesterday, he said an allocation of RM72,174,496.52 had been utilised up to now and the ministry expects another 7,000 participants will gain from this programme for this year with the total cost of RM71 million.

Harman wanted to know how many youths in the State had benefited from the 1Azam programme which is aimed to reduce the poverty rate among the poor and the allocation provided for the purpose.

To another question by Datuk Haji Zakaria Haji Mohd Edris, Yahya said for the year 2012, his ministry has allocated an allocation ofRM71 million to conduct similar like those being implemented last year.

“In addition, the implementing agencies under my ministry are also providing assistance to help improve their earnings such as the Chili and Tomato Planting Fertigation Assistance, Business Loan Assistance, Agricultural Equipment Assistance, Poultry Rearing Assistance and the Fisheries Equipment Assistance,” he said.

According to him, up to this year, the ministry and all implementing agencies are conducting the impact study on the effectiveness of the programmes and a complete detailed report is expected by April 2012.

However, he said his ministry had received feedbacks and some 274 youths had improved in their monthly earnings to RM1,050 after going through the business activity or employment.

There is some participant from the Tuaran Agriculture Department programmes who managed to earn RM9,000 a month.

The ministry’s target is at least 10 per cent or 1,250 youths out of the total 12,500 e-kasih participants to be taken out of the poor income bracket.

Source: New Sabah Times

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