KUCHING: Sarawak is intensifying the transformation of its agricultural sector into a modern, high-tech, and competitive industry to realize its goal of becoming a net food exporter by 2030.
Minister for Food Industry, Commodity and Regional Development Dato Sri Dr Stephen Rundi Utom said that the agricultural sector — which currently contributes 10.4 percent or approximately RM15 billion to Sarawak's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) — holds immense potential to further grow as a key driver of the state's economy.
“With the agricultural sector contributing 10.4 percent to GDP, which is about RM15 billion, we must work harder. We target to become a net food exporter by 2030,” he said.
He said this during a press conference following his ministerial winding-up speech in conjunction with the 19th Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUN) Sitting here on Tuesday.
According to him, achieving this target requires a comprehensive shift from traditional, subsistence farming to a business-oriented industry capable of generating higher economic returns for producers.
“However, we now view agriculture as a business. Whatever we do, we must look at the Return on Investment (ROI). If it is not profitable, where do we go from here?” he noted.
In line with this, he stated that the Sarawak Government is emphasizing the adoption of modern technology, including the Internet of Things (IoT), the development of high-tech agroparks, and more efficient, productive production methods.
He added that commercially valuable crops such as coconut, pineapple, durian, and banana have been identified as key potential commodities to be expanded to meet both domestic and export market demands.
At the same time, efforts to reinforce the entire agricultural value chain — from production and processing to marketing — are being prioritised to enhance the competitiveness of local products.
He highlighted that downstream industry development and agritourism also have the capacity to create new business opportunities, thereby elevating the income of agricultural communities, particularly in rural areas.
Meanwhile, Dato Sri Dr Stephen Rundi mentioned that transforming the agricultural sector supports the aspirations of the Post-COVID-19 Development Strategy 2030 (PCDS 2030) to increase household income to at least RM15,000 by 2030.
He clarified that attracting more youth to participate in modern agriculture is crucial to ensuring the industry's sustainability, alongside encouraging the application of technology and innovation.
He also encouraged group farming approaches through farmers' associations to enable resource sharing, reduce operational costs, and boost yields.
Furthermore, basic infrastructure development — including main roads, farm roads, water supply, and telecommunications coverage — will remain a priority to support agricultural activities and facilitate produce marketing, especially in rural areas.
He emphasized that agricultural transformation aims not only to increase food production, but also to ensure the sector generates sustainable income, creates employment opportunities, and enhances the well-being of agricultural communities across Sarawak. — UKASnews
Prepared by: Lonney Jinab
Photos: Hazrin Sunaini
Translator: Ryan Lim
