BAU: Communities in the Singai area have been encouraged to diversify their agricultural activities by venturing into Liberica coffee cultivation and strengthening paddy production as new pathways to increase household income.

The call was made by Deputy Minister for Transport Sarawak (Riverine and Maritime) and Tasik Biru Assemblyman, Datuk Henry Harry Jinep, during the closing ceremony of the Agriculture Community Outreach Programme (AgriCOP) held at Dewan Kampung Daun Singai on Saturday.

Datuk Henry said many villagers have long relied on crops such as Musang King durian, pisang kepok and pineapple, but noted that the rising demand for Liberica coffee offers stronger and more sustainable economic potential.

He said encouraging the community to cultivate coffee would help reduce dependence on a limited range of crops while tapping into a commodity with high market value.

At the same time, Datuk Henry emphasised that paddy farming also holds significant potential to generate income, particularly when supported with modern agricultural methods and government-backed technical guidance.

“To support our farmers, we will assist by providing fertiliser input to reduce production costs while helping increase yield and income,” he added.

The two-day AgriCOP programme, organised by the Sarawak Department of Agriculture and Bau District Agriculture Office, involved 100 participants from the Singai area.

Also present were Bau District Office representative, Saffika Kueh, Kuching Divisional Agriculture Officer, Awang Roslam Hipni, Assistant Director of Agriculture Extension Division representative, Marian Ahmui, Bau District Agriculture Officer, Eddysen Jengah, and Penghulu Morris John Siren from Singai. -UKASnews