New Technologies Open Up Agriculture As Career Choice For The Younger Generation
SERIAN: New technologies in the agricultural sector are making it a viable career choice for today's younger generation to create a more competitive and profitable agro-industry.
Minister for Food Industry, Commodity and Regional Development Dato Sri Dr Stephen Rundi Utom said that the perception of agriculture as a dirty, difficult, and low-income sector needs to change as the industry is now developing into a modern sector driven by the use of technology such as the 'Internet of Things' (IoT), smart farming, fertigation, greenhouses, and best agricultural practices.
“Agriculture can no longer be viewed as a dirty, difficult, and low-income sector. The future of this sector depends on the use of modern technology capable of increasing productivity and generating higher returns,” he said when officiating Serian Agrofest 2026 at the Serian Conference Centre (SCC) on Friday.
He added that efforts to attract youth participation are crucial to ensuring Sarawak has a skilled workforce capable of driving the transformation of the agricultural sector towards a more modern and sustainable industry, in line with the aspirations of the Post COVID-19 Development Strategy 2030 (PCDS 2030).
According to him, the government also aims for Sarawak to emerge as a 'Net Food Exporter' by 2030, thereby strengthening the state's food security and improving the socio-economic status of the community, especially in rural areas.
In line with this, he emphasised that increasing farmers' income cannot rely solely on yield production, but must instead be supported through the development of downstream industries, processing activities, and a more structured supply chain to create added value for agricultural products.
In the meantime, he urged the Department of Agriculture Sarawak to strengthen its program implementation approach by focusing on the actual needs of farmers based on area suitability, type of enterprise, and market demand.
He said that the use of the e-Tani system will help ensure that agricultural input assistance is delivered in a more targeted manner to truly eligible entrepreneurs, thereby optimising the use of government resources.
At the same time, he also called on Area Farmers' Organisations (PPK) to play a more active role in strengthening product marketing, reducing reliance on middlemen, and encouraging cluster farming practices.
He also suggested that more successful agropreneur icons be created in every division to serve as examples for the younger generation that the agricultural sector can become a lucrative source of income through a commercial approach and the use of technology.
Also present were the Deputy Ministers for Food Industry, Commodity and Regional Development Datuk Dr Abdul Rahman Ismail and Datuk Martin Ben, Member of Parliament for Serian Dato Sri Richard Riot Jaem, Bukit Semuja Assemblyman John Ilus, Serembu Assemblyman Datuk Miro Simuh, Tebedu Assemblyman Dr Simon Sinang Bada, Permanent Secretary to M-FICORD Datu Sirai Daha, Director of Agriculture Sarawak Dominic Chunggat, and Serian Division Resident Mackos Sibong. -UKASnews
