KOTA KINABALU, May 13 (Bernama) -- Datuk Seri Yahya Hussin, who has been
reappointed as Deputy Chief Minister cum Minister of Agriculture and
Food Industry after Barisan Nasional won the recent general elections,
has underlined a mission to transform the agriculture sector to a higher
level by 2020.
To achieve this mission, he said his ministry had specified six strategies including increasing the sector's competitveness, additional contribution from new sources with high value-add and wide usage of modern technology as well as encouraging innovation in the sector.
Yahya said attention would also be given to more active private sector participation, agriculture entrepreneur development and increasing income of target group from hardcore poor, poor and lower income earners in the agriculture sector.
"We want to increase the income of entrepreneurs in the agriculture sector, food producers and the sector's contribution to gross domestic product through increase in productivity and creation of value-add efficiently," he said when delivering his message at a special meeting with heads of department and senior officers of his ministry at Wisma Pertanian here today.
He said one of the main focus areas of the ministry was to put in place the irrigation and drainage infrastructure that is complete and efficient particularly in boosting paddy production in Sabah.
Towards this end, he said the ministry would implement the Entry Point Project 11 of the National Key Economic Area in Kota Belud costing RM305 million.
The initial target of the project was to cultivate paddy on commercial scale on 4,500 hectares (ha) that is able to produce an average of 5.5 metric tonnes per ha by 2018.
"The contribution from 12,200ha of plantations in Kota Belud is 40,300 tonnes of paddy currently. By 2020, a total of 5,000ha would be developed costing RM340 million to plant paddy twice yearly, which is expected to increase production from five tonnes per ha to 8.5 tonnes per ha," he said.
Yahya said it was also expected to produce 91,600 tonnes of paddy including contribution from 2,200ha or three tonnes per ha from areas still using rain water, and the Kota Belud Farmers Organisation had been appointed as operator for commercial cultivation.
"The main objective of my ministry is that paddy production in the state achieves a sufficient level of 60 per cent," he said.
As of 2011, he said the sufficient level achieved for rice was 20.86 per cent or a production of 83,313 tonnes, fruits (87.74 per cent), vegetables (56.90 per cent) and corn farming at 1.70 per cent.
To achieve this mission, he said his ministry had specified six strategies including increasing the sector's competitveness, additional contribution from new sources with high value-add and wide usage of modern technology as well as encouraging innovation in the sector.
Yahya said attention would also be given to more active private sector participation, agriculture entrepreneur development and increasing income of target group from hardcore poor, poor and lower income earners in the agriculture sector.
"We want to increase the income of entrepreneurs in the agriculture sector, food producers and the sector's contribution to gross domestic product through increase in productivity and creation of value-add efficiently," he said when delivering his message at a special meeting with heads of department and senior officers of his ministry at Wisma Pertanian here today.
He said one of the main focus areas of the ministry was to put in place the irrigation and drainage infrastructure that is complete and efficient particularly in boosting paddy production in Sabah.
Towards this end, he said the ministry would implement the Entry Point Project 11 of the National Key Economic Area in Kota Belud costing RM305 million.
The initial target of the project was to cultivate paddy on commercial scale on 4,500 hectares (ha) that is able to produce an average of 5.5 metric tonnes per ha by 2018.
"The contribution from 12,200ha of plantations in Kota Belud is 40,300 tonnes of paddy currently. By 2020, a total of 5,000ha would be developed costing RM340 million to plant paddy twice yearly, which is expected to increase production from five tonnes per ha to 8.5 tonnes per ha," he said.
Yahya said it was also expected to produce 91,600 tonnes of paddy including contribution from 2,200ha or three tonnes per ha from areas still using rain water, and the Kota Belud Farmers Organisation had been appointed as operator for commercial cultivation.
"The main objective of my ministry is that paddy production in the state achieves a sufficient level of 60 per cent," he said.
As of 2011, he said the sufficient level achieved for rice was 20.86 per cent or a production of 83,313 tonnes, fruits (87.74 per cent), vegetables (56.90 per cent) and corn farming at 1.70 per cent.
Agriculture sector plays a cardinal role in the development of Malaysia's economy. Also a major backbone of the state’s economy, agriculture is one of the main sectors focused in the master plan, called “Halatuju” launched by Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Musa Aman when he became Sabah's Chief Minister in 2003.
ReplyDeleteThe state government allocated RM 463.01 million for the agricultural sector in the 2013 State Budget. Part of this large allocation will be utilized to increase the state's food supply.
ReplyDeleteBoth the state and federal governments are working jointly to turn Kota Belud into one of Malaysia's rice granaries. Known also as the EPP (entry point project) 11 Kota Belud, this programme is part of Malaysia’s ETP (Economic Transformation Programme).
ReplyDeleteDeputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Yahya Hussin said, “The oil palm sector, no doubt, is a major contributor to the growth of the state’s economy. But we also have to accept the fact that the agri-food sector, must still be given special attention, especially rice which is the staple food of Sabahans.”
ReplyDeleteAlso Sabah's Minister of Agriculture and Food Industry, Yahya disclosed that a total of RM370.5 million worth of rice was imported into the state in 2011. “This is because the state's rice production is still less than 30 percent self-sufficiency, ” he said.
ReplyDeleteBesides that, RM221.6 million was spent on meat import, in which Sabah's self-suffiency level is also less than 30 percent. However, the state fares better in fruits and vegetables, having achieved 80 percent and 57 percent self-sufficiency respectively.
ReplyDeleteThe production of fresh milk, eggs and chicken is sufficient for the state’s population, while maintaining its position as the major exporter of fish and seafood products in Malaysia.
ReplyDeleteStressing what Sabah can do to increase food supply the Minister said, "62 percent of Sabah's food imports are items that can be grown or produced in the state.
ReplyDeleteFood cultivation will be a prominent feature of the country's economy and the main source of jobs. According to Yahya, statistics shows that 43 percent , or 12.5 million of Malaysia's population of 28.5 million, is made up of youths.
ReplyDeleteThe Prime Minister's Department through PEMANDU (Performance Management & Delivery Unit) has made a forecast that by 2020, NKEA (National Key Economic Area) projects would create 3.3 million jobs. 75,000 of these jobs are in the agro food sectors.
ReplyDelete