Abang Johari with others at the tour of the Borneo Fruits and Pineapples Festival.
SARIKEI: The Borneo Fruits and Pineapples Festival could become the platform to launch traditional and local fruits in the state to penetrate the foreign market and fetch high demand in the long run.
Minister of Tourism Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg said the speciality from the aspect of concept and uniqueness of the festival was most fitting to realise the dream of the government to develop and transform the national’s agricultural sector of related fruits products.
‘In our state, there are still many traditional and local fruits yet to be known. Thus, with the organising of this type of festival, it is a good opportunity for our local people to promote the fruits in their area to the outside world so that it could be enjoyed by every strata of society.
“This festival is a good start for this target group to introduce their fruits and products to the open market. With the opportunities available to market their products, they can become successful entrepreneurs.
“We must be smart to make full use of this opportunity, and we hope farmers, breeders and petty traders who are involved in this aspect will see the foresight of the government’s endeavour to develop the Sarikei Division in general, to become the ‘Food Basket of Sarawak’ towards the year 2030,” said Abang Johari when he opened the Borneo Fruits and Pineapples’ Festival 2015 at the main stage of Sarikei central market on Friday night.
The opening ceremony was attended by about 2,000 people within and outside Sarikei. According to Abang Johari, who is also Housing Minister, the state government is currently making efforts to develop many rural tourism products in the state.
As such, he said tourism-based projects in the rural areas were part of the plan to strengthen the state’s tourism sector.
He said that apart from having attractive tourist locations and the cultural uniqueness in the state, there were also other potential rural tourism products to be developed, including local-based food and traditional culture.
“Tourists like to come to our place because of several factors. Among them, our food and hospitality. For instance, early this year, I was informed that there is a renowned millionaire from Hong Kong willing to come to Sarawak in his personal jet anytime to enjoy ‘ikan empurau’ found in the state.
“And when I was on a working visit to Hong Kong recently, I was surprised that many high-profile guests there asked me whether I brought any ‘ikan empurau’.
“This situation proves that our ikan empurau, coupled with the method of cooking, has made inroads to the leisure of outsiders and become well-known in every corner of the world,” said Abang Johari.
Elaborating on the huge sum of RM500 million announced by the chief minister to develop the rural community, he said it would be expected to boost the agricultural and breeding of livestock sector in the state.
“Besides, the abolition of toll in several main roads and bridges in the state is also seen as a very good opportunity for the target group to market their products outside, thanks to lower transportation cost borne by them.
“The government will also endeavour to identity potential rural areas to become homestays,” he said. At the function, Abang Johari also announced a RM30,000 grant to the festival’s organising committee to meet the costs of running the festival. Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister’s Office (Promotion of Techinical Education and Environment) Datu Len Talif Salleh, Chief political secretary to the Chief Minister, Abdullah Saidol, and Sarikei Resident Dahim Nadot were among those present.