KUCHING: Reassessing the role of the Ministry for Food Industry, Commodity and Regional Development (M-FICORD) is seen as a strategic measure to improve the effectiveness of policy implementation, streamline governance and ensure a clearer focus on the ministry's core responsibilities.

Its Minister, Dato Sri Dr Stephen Rundi Utom said, M-FICORD is among the ministries that shoulder a wide scope of responsibilities with various crucial portfolios under one administration.

According to him, the ministry has long covered the fields of agriculture, land development and rural development, making it a complex entity in terms of planning and implementation.

"However, for the coming years or terms, perhaps we need to reassess, so that we can focus more on the ministry's tasks.

"We will also have additional ministers, not more than four, so that responsibilities can be shared but the public service will remain the same," he said.

He said this when speaking at the 2026 Gemilang Agro-Based Industry Dinner held at a leading hotel here, on Wednesday.

Dato Sri Dr Stephen Rundi also proposed the establishment of a unit under his ministry to manage seasonal fruits, especially moving downstream to produce products based on these fruits.

He explained that this was because of his concern for farmers who had been encouraged by the government to produce seasonal fruits, but the management of seasonal fruits had not yet been systematically managed.

"So the answer is, we need to move downstream where we can create products from produce which must be marketable.

"For example, durian can be made into paste, ice cream and so on including dabai, which can also be made into various products," he added.

Also present were M-FICORD Permanent Secretary Datu Sirai Daha, Sarawak Agriculture Department Deputy Director Gilbert Igi and Sarawak Agriculture Department staff. -UKASnews

Reporter: Ahmad Daniel Faiz
Photographer: Ahmad Daniel Faiz
Translator: Nerissa Sia