Sarawak Gets RM116.27 Million For Agricultural Development Programmes

Sarawak Gets RM116.27 Million For Agricultural Development Programmes

KUCHING, Nov 18 (Bernama) -- An allocation of RM116.27 million from the federal and state governments has been approved for the Sarawak Agriculture Department to implement various agricultural development programmes next year.

Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr George Chan said the allocation is for the development of crops, livestock, fisheries, institutional and support services, including research, Farmers' Organisation and human resource development in the state.

"My ministry will continue to revitalise and modernise the agriculture sector in the state so as to make it globally competitive and sustainable," said Dr Chan, who is also the State Agriculture Modernisation Minister, in his winding-up speech for his ministry here Wednesday.

He said a sum of RM95 million was allocated to the Sarawak Agriculture Department last year.

On development of the granary area, Dr Chan said the state government was committed to develop the Batang Lupar granary, which comprises two areas, namely Bijat/Stumbin covering a total area of 2,900 hectares and Lingga/Banting covering 2,200 hectares.

Other features of the granary include comprehensive and efficient drainage and irrigation infrastructure to optimise land utilisation for the cultivation of paddy plus off-season as well as other crops.

"In June this year, the Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Ministry commissioned two consultancy firms to undertake studies encompassing detailed design and costs for the drainage and irrigation infrastructures, preparation of tender documents and site supervision for the two proposed areas," he said, adding that the studies are scheduled to be completed in April next year.

Given the huge potential offered by hybrid rice, Dr Chan said Sarawak has been working with a private company to seek federal funding to set up a hybrid rice research centre in Sarawak.

The proposed research centre will have access to hybrid rice experts from China and the Philippines, he said.

"We expect the centre to develop high performance hybrid rice varieties which are derived not only from foreign parent materials but also from our own indigenous rice varieties," he said, adding that the hybrid rice seed could increase yield between 20 and 50 per cent.

Dr Chan said a certified seed production and processing complex in Stumbin, Sri Aman, has been established to boost paddy production in the state.

He said 192 hectares reserved for seed production will be devoted to the growing and multiplication of breeder, foundation and registered seeds while another 10 hectares are for the seed processing complex to house ancillary facilities, staff quarters and research plots for seed evaluation trials.

"To date, about 40 hectares of the seed production area have been developed while the physical construction of the seed processing complex is scheduled to start next year for completion in early 2011," Dr Chan said.

"The first batch of certified paddy seeds is expected to come out from the seed complex in time for the 2011/2012 main paddy planting session," he said adding that the paddy produced in the seed farms or by contract growers are then processed in the seed processing complex into high quality seeds that are certified by the Agriculture Department.

In line with the efforts to modernise the aquaculture industry in the state, Dr Chan said the federal government has allocated RM9 million to develop the Aquaculture Industry Zone (AIZ) at Rambungan, covering an area of 285 hectares.

"The physical development of the infrastructure will begin next year and is expected to be completed in 2011. In addition, we have received an additional RM4.75 million this year to develop AIZs in Selalang, Batang Ai and Sundar/Awat-Awat," he said.

resource-- BERNAMA